The Skincare || Looking After the Décolletage

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to take more care of my body skin, particularly my décolletage area. Whilst I am religious about applying sunscreen to my face, my neck and chest are often forgotten which leaves me with quite a red, sensitive and damaged neck area. I've been trying to repair this damage by firstly applying sunscreen every morning. I'm trying to use up the Olay Daily Face SPF30+ on my neck because I don't like the feel of this sunscreen on my face and I suspect it breaks me out a bit. Yet as I type this I forgot to apply it this morning. Oops.

In the evenings, I'm taking a number of steps to undo the damage done. Firstly I'm cleansing the area with the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser (please don't shoot me for using this, I'm trying to use it all up). I've been using a sample of the Trilogy Nutrient Plus Firming Serum, which is ok. I have to say I won't be repurchasing this, I find it doesn't mix well with certain moisturisers. It works perfectly with the Trilogy Line Smoothing Day Cream however, which I've been applying day and night. A fairly simple routine, but so far I'm happy with the results. My neck seems to be less sensitive, red, and the fine wrinkles which were appearing have seemed to lessen.

Do you take much care of your décolletage?

X Suzy 

The Skincare || Body Skincare Bits

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when it comes to the lack of care I give my body skin. I'm extremely lazy, and one of my New Year's resolutions was to take better care of it.

To kick start my body care routine, I dry brush all my limbs with the Body Shop Body Brush (say that three times fast) whilst the shower water warms up. Once I hop into the shower, I run some of the Jurlique Citrus Shower Gel all over. I switch it up from the Jasmine scent to the Citrus sent because I get a bit bored of the scents after a while. Once a week I exfoliate my skin with the Jurlique Body Exfoliating Gel, something that I probably wont repurchase. It's just a little pricey for what it is and I want to try a Body Shop offering. My favourite razors are the Venus Embraces (in pink duh). They make shaving less of a chore and quick thanks to the wide blades and comfortable handle.

Once I've stepped out of the shower, I slather my body in the Jurlique Citrus Body Care Lotion. A lovely lightweight moisturiser is just what my limbs are crying out for after a wash. If I need a little more hydration, coconut oil is a good option, as is any sort of sorbolene cream. My favourite fake tan is the Sukin Sunless Bronzing Gel because its so subtle. If you want a fake tan to turn your skin into a deep golden bronze, this isn't for you. It's perfect for me however, because it gives such a lovely colour that looks like I have just got back from a holiday.

This quick and simple body care routine leaves ample time for me to fluff around with my facial skincare in the evenings. I tend to neglect my body in the mornings, favouring a few more minuets of sleep.

How do you look after your body skin?

X Suzy  

The Skincare || How Much is my Face Worth in Skincare?

Coming to you this week is a couple of posts featuring the "How much is my face worth?" tag. I've seen this post around on a couple of blogs and I've always been interested in writing a post myself. As skincare is such a love of mine, it's only appropriate for me to do two of these posts, one featuring my skincare, and another featuring my makeup. As you've probably guessed by the title, this post is focussed on my skincare. Without further delay, here is the total cost of my daily skincare, prepare you're self for a big shock. 

Firstly, in the morning I cleanse my face with the Jurlique Balancing Cleansing Lotion ($45), tone with the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Mist ($32), tap on the Herbal Recovery Eye Cream ($52) and follow with the Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum ($75). I'm not obsessed with the Herbal Recovery range at all. If there are any spots present, that means everyday, I dab on a bit of the Aesop Control Gel ($23). I finish of the morning with a pea sized amount of the Grown Alchemists Matte Moisturiser ($60). So mornings come to a grand total of $287. Ouch. 

In the evenings I start by taking a cotton pad loaded in Bioderma ($30) all over my face. The Jurlique Balancing Cleansing Lotion ($45) from the morning is used again. It's followed up by the REN Clarifying Toning Lotion ($40) and the Herbal Recovery Mist ($32) from the morning. The eye cream ($52) and the serum ($75) used in the morning are also used again followed with the Jurlique Calendula Cream ($85) and the Aesop Control Gel ($23). This brings my evening total to: $383. Ok, so that's a lot more than what I thought it would be. And so the grand total of my daily skincare routine comes too $443 (I subtracted the products which I use twice). Mega ouch. Let's not calculate the added costs of my bi-weekly at home facials. I'm hoping to redeem myself with a relatively small daily makeup cost, check in on Friday for that.  

How much do you think your skincare costs you?

X Suzy 

The Skincare || Super Spot Fighters

Over eating, sweet foods, drinking and laziness are all synonyms of the silly season. Unfortunately  for me, this leaves me with a number of huge spots and congested skin. Luckily, I have a pretty good spot fighting combination that dramatically reduces the size of the zit. 

First up is cleansing, the corner stone of a good skincare routine. I'm trying not to over dry my skin at the moment, and I've made the switch from the Jurlique Foaming Purifying Cleanser to the Jurlique Balancing Cleansing lotion when I'm not wearing makeup or sunscreen. The foaming cleanser still comes in handy when I need to remove makeup and SPF, however I know I should ditch it. The fact that I have two mostly full bottles of it means that it will be with me for quite some time still. 

Another step which I have found essential to combat zits is by using an exfoliating toner. The one I am currently using is the REN Clarifying Toning Lotion. This is subtle enough to use on a daily basis, and really helps to deep clean my pores, leading to clearer skin. 

Layering the spot treatments is my real secret however. After cleansing and toning, the Aesop Control Gel is applied to all my spots. Serum and moisturiser follows as per usual. Over the moisturiser I will apply more control gel and an enormous amount of the Jurlique Blemish Cream. The good thing about these two products is they will not over dry your skin so you can layer up as much as possible. On really bad spots, a tiny bit of the Jurlique Purifying Mask is applied over night, leaving me with clear(er) skin in the morning.  

The Skincare || Summer Skin Saviours

I am so sorry for neglecting this blog for so long. The last three weeks I had exams, and for the next week I'm on school Prac. So I won't be able to post as often as I like for the coming week!

Summer has arrived. We seemed to have missed spring altogether, which calls for a new wardrobe of lotions and potions (and clothes!) Here is my solution to all body and face skincare dramas from pale skin and dry patches.  

Firstly, the most essential lotion for summer, sunscreens. I won't go into too much detail because I've done a post on this before, and nothing's changed. HERE it is if you’re interested.

Fake tan. I have a love hate relationship with it. When done correctly, it looks amazing. But very easily, it can look like absolutely terrible. Streaky, orangey, patchy. You name it. I also hate the smell and the sticky feel of it. But never the less, I keep applying it every summer. I have found a good one though, from a favourite brand of mine, Sukin. The organic brand has a fantastic Sunless Bronzing Gel. It's not too pongy on the nose, and is not too sticky.   Also, it's not filled with chemicals like other fake tans can be. It's quite liquid-y, which makes it easy to apply and blend. Out of the tube, it looks horrifying but once massaged in, it gives the most beautiful natural looking tan.

Next up, hair removal. My preferred method is shaving. Boring right? I follow it up with a moisturiser, namely the Sukin Body Lotion. At the moment, I'm trialling a hair inhibitor serum called Inhibitif. It supposedly prevents hair regrowth in under 2 weeks. I've only been using this for about a week, so I'll keep you updated.

I've already touched on my preferred body lotion, the Sukin Body Lotion. I use this mostly on my legs, because they tend to be especially dry. On my arms and the rest of my body I like to use the Jurlique Jasmine Body Care Lotion. This is a really light yet hydrating moisturiser which is rapidly absorbed. I usually moisturise after I've given my body a good scrub with a body brush.

My face skincare is pretty much the same all year round, if I need any more moisturising, I'll slather on the Jurlique Calendula cream (I'm a bit obsessed with this product). Occasionally I might layer an oil over the top, either rose hip oil, or the one which I'm trialling at the moment: the Jurlique Balancing Oil.

By using all the lovely products above, I'm able to prep and protect my skin all summer long. What are your summer staples?

X Suzy

The Weekend Pamper || Weekend Facial

Following on from this morning’s skincare post, here is my last instalment in the skincare series, my weekend routine. Once a week, I'll take about an hour of my time and dedicate it to my skin. I apply a range of face masks and treatments to give my skin a much needed deep clean and detox. This is something I save for Sunday afternoons, so that I don't have to put makeup on afterwards.

I begin by washing may face with the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser. It's vital to wash your face beforehand, otherwise it's a bit like polishing a dirty floor.

Next up, I steam my face by putting some hot water in a bowl and putting tea towel around my face. If I am feeling fancy, I might put some water soluble tea tree oil or calendula lotion in the water, but most weekends I don't bother.

After steaming my face, I take the Jurlique Fruit EnzymeExfoliator and smother this all over my face. I use about four pumps, and I take this right up to my eyes. I wouldn't recommend taking it around the eyes if you have sensitive skin at all, or if you have just started using this. I leave it on for about 5 minutes as it's recommended, but sometimes I leave it on for longer. I wash it off using a warm flannel, which also helps with exfoliation.

After exfoliating, my face mask extravaganza begins. Firstly, I put a layer of rose hip oil - about three or four drops. This gives my skin a huge moisture boost. I use both the Jurlique Purifying Mask and the Intense Recovery Mask. I take a dollop of both masks, mix them together and apply it through my T-Zone. The Purifying mask is quite dry, and the Intense Recovery Mask makes it a little bit easier to spread over my face. On my cheeks, I apply the Intense Recovery Mask. Both masks are phenomenal, my skin is left so smooth and clean. I wash it off with a flannel and some warm water. Finally, I follow through with my evening skin care routine.

At the end of the week, I find myself looking forward to my at home facial so much. Nothing beats a deep clean and exfoliation, and the result the next morning is so satisfying. It’s worth pointing out that afterwards my skin does go a little on the pink side, but by the next morning it is all fine! 

The Skincare || Skin Treatments

As mentioned in my Evening Skincare Routine #1 post last week, my treatments section of my routine has so many bits and bobs that it requires its own post. Depending on what my skin needs (usually pimple busting) various treatments are taped on the localised area.

Most of my spot treatments are related to blemish solving, and there is a treatment for each sort of pimple. The Jurlique Blemish Cream comes in handy on those inflamed and swollen pimples. This is by far the favourite of the bunch, smells like tea tree oil and is so effective. It is also very useful for those under the skin blemishes. The Jurlique Purifying Mask works even better on these types of pimples but I like to leave this on overnight.  The Origins Super Spot Remover is perfect for tiny whiteheads and blocked pores thanks to the 1.5% salicylic acid. I am quite prone to popping pimples *slaps self on the back of the hand* and the Calendula Cream form Jurlique is the perfect cream to help the skin repair its self.

Pimple busting aside, I am left with two more problems: scaring and sometimes a random patch of dryness. I've recently been using the Sukin Rose Hip oil to combat the scaring, which has been quite effective. As for those random patches of dry skin, the Calendula Cream is their best friend. 

All these creams and lotions are put on after toning and before my serum to ensure that they are as effective as possible. Before I go to bed, another dose is applied.

X Suzy

The Skincare || Evening Skincare Routine #1

Naming this post proved to be a difficult one. I always do my skin for the evening as soon as I get home from whatever I've been doing that day. So it’s not necessarily in the evening. But a “Midday skincare routine” wouldn't be quite the same, right? It’s taken me a while to sit down and write this post, the reason being is that I wasn't quite happy with my routine. Actually, my routine is still missing one element: an exfoliating toner. Hello REN ClarifyingToning Lotion (its number one on my wish list). So without further delay, here is my (almost complete) evening skincare routine.

First point of call is to remove all my makeup. Starting off with on cotton wipe soaked in Bioderma, I sweep it all over my eyes. I take another Bioderma-soaked-cotton-wipe and wipe it all over my face. Next up is cleansing, where the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser comes into play. I take half a pump and slosh it all over my face. A wet flannel is then taken and rubbed all over my face for a bit of subtle exfoliation. I repeat this step again with a smaller amount of cleanser. Every third night or so I will give my skin some more thorough exfoliation. This comes in the form of the Aesop TeaTree Leaf Exfoliator. This one is quite an unusual exfoliator, it comes as a powder which you add to a gel or cream cleanser. This works fabulously to get rid of all the grime which is blocking my pores. You can also alter the amount of exfoliation you want but altering how much you use.

Post cleansing and exfoliating is my 'treatment' section. Here I apply a range of blemish creams to my various skin conditions. I'm planning to put a separate post up about my treatments, (there are so many) so look out for that!

Moving on to toning, I have two options here, including the Jurlique Calendula Lotion and the Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner. I'm going off then Calendula Lotion, as it has a lot of alcohol in it. I'm not using it as regularly as before, and I haven't noticed a big difference in my skin. Once I finish this bottle, I won't be repurchasing. The Trilogy however, is a nice alcohol free alternative - but nothing special.

The final step in my routine is to moisturise my skin. Firstly I use a pea sized amount of the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream around my eye area. Next up is one pump of the Jurlique Herbal RecoveryAdvanced Serum (as raved about here)which is followed by a dollop of the Calendula Cream from Jurlique. When applying my Calendula cream I do a bit of a Caroline Hirons inspired facial massage, with a few moves of my own thrown in there. Finally, I use 2-3 drops of the Sukin Rose Hip Oil just before I go to bed.

All up this takes me about 10-15 mins to do. And I love it, my skin is looking so amazing at the moment. My routine is at a point where I'm really happy with it and I'm looking forward to adding an exfoliating toner to my routine. I hope you found this useful I'm some way!

X Suzy

The Skincare || Sunscreens

I am a full on beach babe. I love the sun, the sand, and the surf. Did I mention that I love the sun? And I happen to be a fair-skinned-red-haired kinda gall. Sun protection has always been a important to me, in fact, 'hat' was my first word, so that shows you how important protecting my skin was as a child. Of course, it is just as important to keep up the sun protection now, especially as I'm on holiday and my skin is all pasty after the winter months. If you read my latest post, you would know that I'm currently on holiday. I'm writing this post from a sun lounge in 35 degree heat. Once again, I'm on my iPad so there's probably a few typos here and there, and there won't be any links!

I'm not going to even bother giving a lecture on how important it is to look after your skin whilst out in the sun, because I'm sure you have heard it all before. Nor am I going to even attempt to try and explain the science behind SPF, I bearly understand it myself. If you do fancy knowing all the finer details, check out this link: http://www.carolinehirons.com/2013/04/spf-cheat-sheet.html

Starting of with my face, I'm currently slathering on the Clinique Super City Block SPF30+. This is a newie to me, I brought it especially for this trip, but I was using a sample prior to purchasing it. I like it so far but my mind hasn't been quite made up. I like how it's got a tint, but don't let that fool you. It covers hardly anything, but I don't see that as a problem. It is a tad on the greasy side, but for some reason it dosen't look shiny - don't ask how that works. Another facial sunscreen which I've tried and liked is the Olay Complete Defence Daily Moisturiser SPF30+, but this is more greasy than the Clinique. For lips, something which is easily over looked, is the Ego QV Face Lip Balm in SPF30+. This is one of the only lip products which I've found in SPF 30+. I like this, and it's a permanent fixture in my beach bag.

For my body, I usually go for which ever one my mum buys for the family. Our current favorite is the Cancer Council's Everyday Sunscreen in SPF30+. This ticks all my boxes: goes on easily, is Aussie made so it meets all our standards, waterproof, and isn't that greasy. I doubt that there's any sunscreen that isn't greasy and is long lasting. It's a bit like the long-lasting-unsticky lipgloss conundrum.  

There's only so much that creams can do. I'm also a fan of big sunnies, floppy hats and floaty kaftans for added sun protection. My hat is from last year, and I have know idea where it was from, probably a surf shop. When choosing a pair of sunnies, look at the tag, and make sure it has meet some sort of standard. The brands you find in the chemist are great for providing quality sun protection. An added bonus is to find ones which are polarised, meaning there's less glare. I litteraly just sat on my previous pair of sunnies and ducked up to the resort shop to by this new pair. The brand is called Black Ice, and I've seen this brand around in chemists. They check all my boxes: are big, look great, meet the Aussie UV blocking standards, and are polarised. And of course, don't forget a kaftan. Look for something light, breazy, loose fitting and long sleeved.

 Ta Da! My sunscreen and sun protection favorites all written down in one spot, I hope this had provided some tips for you guys!

 X Suzy 

The Weekend Pamper || Traveling Beauty Essentials

I'm on holiday this week to get some much needed sun in the Australian North. With the sun, heat and humidity my skin tends to at its best, if anything it's a little dry. Pair the climate with some R&R and I'm confident enough to skip the makeup - almost. I apologise in advance, I'm writing this on my iPad which doesn't have the best spellchecker - please forgive me. Also, I can't seem to add links to all the products mentioned. When I get home I'll add them - if I remember.  

Skincare:

Whilst traveling I try to stick with my usual routine, minus the weekend face mask extravaganza. I honestly cannot be bothered - I'd much rather be sunning myself outside by a pool. 

I don't tend to bring big bottles of my skincare with me, I decant things into smaller recycled bottles. I've  filled two empty Body Shop bottles with some Bioderma and my favourite cleanser, the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser. As for exfoliating, I recived a sample of the Refining Skin Treatment from Jurlique a while ago and I though it would be a great time to try it out.

For toning, I've got a small bottle of the Jurlique Lavender Hydrating Toning Mist. I'm not a huge fan of Jurlique's range of toners, they are all filled with alcohol but the bottle is so cute and travel friendly. 

I've packed both my usual blemish treatments, the Jurlique Blemish Cream and the Origins Super Spot Remover, both in their original packaging. I popped in a tiny bit of the Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque into a little jar to use as an overnight blemish treatment if I get any serious spots. 

In terms of other skin treatments, there's a tiny sample of the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair II, and the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream. 

And finally we have moisturisers. It's the usual culprits, the Grown Organic  Alchemist Matte Moisturiser for day time and into a large plastic pot, I've decanted some of the Jurlique Callendular Cream for night time. For lips and cuticles, I've got my Love Balm from Jurlique. 

Makeup:

Before coming on holiday, I got both my eyebrows and eyelashes tinted to save some time in the mornings and I'm planing to do a lot of swimming this week, so it's super convenient. I want my makeup to be as effortless as possible - there are other things is rather be doing on holiday! 

Base:

I brought the Clinique Super City Block SPF30 specially for this trip but I've been using a sample of it prior to purchasing it. I really like using this suncream, it dosent feel rank on my skin at all, and has a slight tint to it. Another recent purchase is the BareMinerals Origninal Foundation in Fairly Light. This gives a beautiful finish to my skin perfect for those good skin days. It also sets the Super City Block and wipes out enough shine and grease but the finish isn't too matte. Of course I brought my Jurlique Citrus Finishing Powder along - just in case of an oily episode. 

For concealers, I've got the MAC Studio Finish and the Select Cover-Up both in NW20. If I fancy a bit more coverage in the day, I'll blend a blob of the Select Cover-Up with the Clinique Super City Block, and for night time, I'll pop a bit with my daily moisturiser. If I develop any pimples I dab some of the Studio Finish concealer on them. 

Colour:

I did pack one mascara, the Maybeline Mega Plush for evenings, but I doubt I'll bother with it, instead I'll focus on eyeliner. I've got both liquid and pencil eyeliner, namely the Rimmel Glam'Eyes liquid liner and the MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack. For the checks, I've got my usuall blush-bronzer hybrid, the MAC Sheertone Blush in Sincere and my MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle for a highlight. I also packed the Maybeline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze but once again I'm skeptical that I'll bother using it. And finally, I packed my Lanolips in Apples for nights out sipping gin & tonics and watching the sunset. 

Tools:

I just brought the basics in the tool department: an eyelash curler from Manicare, an eyebrow brush (cheap un-branded one) an Ecotools blush brush (for bronzer), a Naito blush brush (for highlighting), TheBalm double ended eye brush (for spot concealing) and a Natio kabuki brush for my mineral foundation.

There you have it. My traveling beauty essentials. It all fits into that beautiful toiletry bag which I got in Bali and I've even got some more room in there! Of course I realise I'm missing an entire category of body bits, but I won't bore you with all of that - it's far less interesting!

X Suzy 

The Skincare || Morning Skincare Routine #1

Skincare is my current obsession. That and tea, durrr. I wanted to write a post about my skincare bits and bobs, but that post would be a mile long. Instead I have broken it down into four categories, morning skincare, evening skincare, weekend skincare and miscellaneous skincare. Yes, I have so much skincare that I need a miscellaneous category, that's normal isn't it? And so, I bring you my morning skincare routine, drum roll please. 

I start my day by cleansing with my all time favourite cleanser, the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser. This one is full of lovely ingredients such as green tea extract, witch hazel extract, and calendula. It foams up quite nicely not too foamy, just perfect.

Next I spot treat my skin with what ever product my skin needs, mostly a blemish cream. My morning blemish cream (yes, I have an evening spot cream) is the Origins Super Spot Remover. I like this one because it sits rather nicely under makeup.

Following the pimple busting, I apply an eye cream, namely the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream. This is a favourite for me, I'm on to my second tube of this. It has really helped with the fine lines but then again, ageing isn't my main concern so I don't know how powerful it really is.

Moving on to to moisturising, I use a combination of two products, the Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner and the Grown Alchemist Matte Balancing Moisturiser. The moisturiser is a recent find for me, and I love it. At first it dries quite tacky, but then it smoothes out to create the nicest, even surface ever. It's so lovely I don't bother with a primer after this!

And that concludes my morning skincare routine, but you may be wondering were my SPF is. Currently, it's Spring and therefore the sun isn't that strong so I can get away with wearing an SPF 35 BB cream for everyday activities(e.g. going to uni, shopping). However, if I was to go outside for a walk or to the beach, I would defs put a proper sunscreen on.

I hope you liked the fist instalment of my skincare series and maybe picked up a few tips along the way. Keep an eye out for the next post in the series, Evening Skincare Routine #1!

Suzy x