Monday 10 October 2011

DIY Acne Treatment: Sea Salt Steam

If you haven't seen it already, I'd urge you to check out my Sea Salt Toner post (here) as this will be 
used at the end.
-I love this toner, and have been using it every day since I wrote the post. Although I didn't have any breakouts when I started, I have noticed a big difference in the condition and surface texture of my skin. It's less 'bumpy' (I had a huge insecurity of the surface of my forehead, but I don't have to worry any more!), and any breakouts I DID develop went away very quickly. 
Anyway, onto the point of this post: 

The Treatment.

Difficulty Rating:

This was another sea salt recommendation from Andreas Choice, so I've decided to put this to the test as well.

I'm using a Facial Sauna, but you can use a saucepan and heat it over the stove (though you want to make it produce steam at a comfortable temperature, as you don't want to scald yourself).

Before You Start: Ensure your skin is thoroughly cleansed (but don't moisturise).

Method:
-Saucepan: fill the saucepan up to about a 1/4 (or less) with water. Add 1-2 tsp of Sea Salt (depending on the size of the saucepan) and then heat. Once you have steam, either lower the heat or take it off the stove completely, and hold face at a comfort distance over the steam (if you wish you can put a towel over your head).

-Facial Sauna: Fill the bowl with the stated amount of water on the products instructions. Add 1/4 tsp of Sea Salt to the water, attach the facial mask and switch on the appliance. Once steam is produced, hold your face as close to the steam as feels comfortable.


After The Steam:
Take a cotton pad, and apply the Sea Salt Toner to it. Use this all over the face, concentrating on 'problem' areas (like blackheads etc)
The toner should help remove any impurities that the steam would have brought to the surface, as well as closing the pores to prevent any dirt getting into them.
-You can now moisturise as usual.

Results:
After doing the whole thing I noticed my pores were a lot clearer, and the toner definitely helped remove a few blackheads and impurities.
The results were definitely positive, and I am 100% going to keep this up and continue to do this once a week.

I hope this recipe helps someone. Has anyone tried steaming with sea salt before? Or any other addition for that matter. Any recommendations?

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Sunday 9 October 2011

Project Pan Update + Empties

So I completed my September Project Pan! (despite a slight hiccup)

It definitely contolled my spending (ignoring the afore mentioned 'hiccup'), and I'm still trying to decide if I should carry it on for this month.
Although I've already bought things this month, I may put myself on a ban for the rest of it.

After just a month I've managed to use up more than I thought I would, and here are my empties at the end of it all:


Dior 5 Coleurs (pink Idol): I LOVE this palette. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I have hit pan on the bottom 2 colours. I'll be very sad once this palette is gone as it's my baby.
Repurchase: Definitely!

Treseme 24 Hour Body Shampoo & Conditioner: You may have seen these in a previous post, and I do really like them. They work well for me, though they are no miracle product. My hair wasn't any bigger after using them, but I really like the scent of them both.
Repurchase: I would consider buying these again, though for now I am using something else (you should alternate shampoo & conditioners to prevent product build-up)

Clarins Cleansing Milk: A holy grail of mine, I absolutely love this cleanser. It works perfectly on my sensitive/combination skin, and never lets me down.
Repurchase: Absolutely!

W7 Honolulu Bronzer: I really like this bronzer, again it's one of my holy grails. It just gives a nice bronzed look without being too orange or too dark. 
Repurchase: As soon as I can find it again (I can no longer find it in my local Savers) I will be buying this for sure.

George Ultra Matte Pressed Powder: This always gives me a nice matte finish to my make up, and doesn't come out blotchy or orange. The colour is a really good match to my own, and it is an amazing bargain.
Repurchase: Yes


Lush Vanishing Cream: I think I'm saddest to see this one go, as it's one of the few moisturisers that my skin actually likes. Yes it is pricey, but (for someone who finds it hard to find a suitable moisturiser) it's definitely worth it, and it's lasted me since April.
Repurchase: Yes

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Boots 200 Clear Nails Verdict

You may have seen my previous post on the 200 Clear Nails from Boots last week.
(if not, you can find it here)

The box stated that the nails last up to a week, so I tested them out, and a week later I'm back with my verdict:

Nail Quality: I really like these nails. They get thicker towards the end of the nail, blend well around the cuticle, and are very strong and resilient. I did find one of the nails developed a split, but that was due to it coming off, and then getting reapplied a few times. But then you have a whole stash of replacements to go to!

Durability: Did these last the full 7 days? Not even close. The day after I applied these, one fell off. And over the next few days the rest followed.
These are, however, great for a night out and will definitely last the whole night.
The main thing I worried about was losing them in the shower, but they managed to cling on and I had absolutely no trouble with the hot water affecting the glue. (I can't comment on how they'd last in the bath as I didn't text that out).

These are easy to glue back on once they start falling off, and you definitely notice when they come loose, so there's no chance of losing them. I have used cheap false nails before and looked down to find one (or more) has completely disappeared without even realising. But you don't get that with these, which is great as you can just quickly glue it back on!

Possible Disadvantage: There are food allergies I have which means I'm pretty low on calcium. Because of this my nails are very weak, don't grow properly, and are quite flat. The Boots clear nails are curved (like normal natural nails), so the stress of having to hold on to flat nails may have taken its toll. This may be why the nails didn't stay on for as long it claimed, so I won't fully blame the product for that.

Repurchase: Definitely! Though I'd be tempted to buy a stronger glue. But these are definitely great value for money, and it's worth purchasing just for the nails alone.

Despite the fact they didn't last a week, I do like these nails a lot. Now I'd love to try out the Kiss nails to see how they compare to one another. I have used Kiss's Everlasting Nails before, and was very impressed, so I wouldn't be surprised if their glue was a lot better than the one in this kit.
-But then you get half the nails for £1 less.

Would you be likely to purchase these? I'd love to know if these have impressed/disappointed you after this review.



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Tuesday 4 October 2011

Breast Cancer Awareness Month NOTD


Products Used:

-Famous in Tempting Taupe
-MUA in shade 3
-Rimmel 60 seconds Clear nail polish
-Thin Eyeliner Brush

Cancer is a terrible disease which has, in one way or another, affected most (if not all) of us at some point in our lives. It comes in many different forms, but each one is just as horrible as the next. I will definitely be supporting Breast Cancer Research this month, as well as other types in months to come.

There are many ways to show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, and one of the ways I thought I'd show mine (as well as donating) was to also wear the pink ribbon in this way.

Unfortunately my work uniform is all black, so I thought this would be a nice subtle way to show support at work, as well as by wearing the actual ribbon.

This is my first ever attempt at any kind of  nail art. I don't have any of the proper tools for it, hence why I used an eyeliner brush. I don't use it anyway, so I'm not too worried about the fact that I've potentially ruined it :/ Woops!
I hope you like it!

How will you be showing your support this month?

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@ Beauty Not Just Skin Deep.