Wonders of Beauty: Skin care

• A lightweight, soothing gel-crème for blemished skin.

• Replenishes moisture overnight

• Leaves skin looking matte

• Antibacterial action

• Clinically proven to give clearer-looking skin

It feels like such a long time since I last wrote a review. I guess it's about time that I gave you my opinion on The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion that was featured in my "What's New" post in March. I mentioned that there was a lot of positive feedback about their whole Tea Tree range with the Blemish Fade Night Lotion being the most talked about and it truly deserves every positive review it gets!

I used to take biotin tablets which broke me out on both cheeks. I didn't realise it was the tablets that were giving me spots until I started doing some research so I stopped taking it and my spots more or less vanished. I do not pop my spots but for some reason they left my cheeks with dark marks which I've been desperately trying to get rid of as my skin wasn't like this before.

I started using The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion and I have to say this product has worked wonders in fading the marks. The thing is, I don't even use it daily anymore and I've seen results. When I first got it, I used it daily for maybe about two weeks then I became lazy and daily became once/twice a week, sometimes I wouldn't even use it at all. The marks haven't faded completely but they are definitely a lot less apparent than they were a few months ago. Maybe if I start using the product properly, they may fade completely? Who knows? I am just happy that my skin is looking a lot more even.

It is said to be a night lotion but to be honest, I don't see why it cannot be used during the day too. It is not a greasy lotion at all. In fact, after 5 minutes of application, my skin appears very matte and feels a bit on the dry side and I prefer a richer cream before bed. For those with dry skin, you may have to apply a moisturiser that is more rich after you've used this.

The Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion is also said to help those with acne breakouts but I'm not sure how well it works for that but I guess for those of you who suffer from acne, there's no harm in trying.

Packaging: The product is dispensed through a pump which I find to be a hygienic way to package the product especially because of what it is used for.

Size: 30ml

Price: Usually £8.00 but is currently on offer for £4.00!!!

Availability: Available from any Body Shop store and online

Overall thoughts: If you have blemishes that you are trying to get rid of, I think this is a good product to start off with as it is very affordable in my opinion and The Body Shop always have offers. You will only know if it will work for you if you try it yourself as everyone differs. My friend also uses it and I have seen a big difference in her skin. Don't expect miracles and airbrushed skin but I'm sure you will see a major improvement and good results. I'm going to try and start using it more regularly in hope that my dark marks fade even more!

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Review - 20:21

Review | The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion

• A lightweight, soothing gel-crème for blemished skin. • Replenishes moisture overnight • Leaves skin looking matte • Antiba...

Image Source: Google

Knowing your skin type is very important not only because it determines the type of makeup you use but also aids in deciding which skin care products you need to either improve or maintain your skin. Some say there are mainly 5 different skin types but personally I believe there's only 4 because in my opinion anyone with any of the 4 skin types can also suffer from sensitivity.

The 4 that I would classify as general skin types are:

1. Dry Skin

People with dry skin usually suffer from flakiness and dehydration. Your skin will lack moisture, oil and also elasticity. The skin may also appear dull as a result. Those with dry skin are more prone to fine lines or wrinkles. Dry skin will feel tight especially after you've washed and dried your face so moisturising with a hydrating cream is very important.
Try to avoid alcohol based products because this may dry your skin out even more which you certainly do not want!

2. Oily Skin

With oily skin, the skin produces oil excessively which results in a shiny face majority of the time. Those with this skin type often tend to have enlarged pores as well. You may suffer from blemishes more often than any other skin type due to the over production of oil. It is very common to suffer from acne with this skin type. Oily skin can be controlled by using the right products. Just because you have oily skin doesn't mean you shouldn't moisturise because this could potentially worsen the situation. Just look for a light or oil-free moisturiser.
Your aim is to also keep your pores clean so be sure to cleanse twice a day!

3. Combination Skin

Apparently most people have combination skin. Combination skin is when your t-zone (forehead, nose area and chin) is oily and the rest of your face is dry. You may suffer from spots on your t-zone as a result. This can be seen as a tricky skin type to work with because you are dealing with two different skin types on one face therefore you will need to use different products in different areas to treat this. You will need to treat the dry area of your skin as you would treat dry skin and control the oily parts of your skin as you would with someone who solely has oily skin.

4. Normal Skin

Though this skin type is seen as normal that doesn't mean that it doesn't require effort to maintain the skin type because it does! Normal skin isn't too oily nor is it too dry; it tends to be a balance where oil or dryness is not in excess. It is important that you keep the balance in your skin. This can be achieved through using certain products which have been designed and developed to aid in maintaining the pH balance in skin. Those with normal skin also have smooth, well hydrated skin and very rarely suffer from spots.

I hope these brief descriptions of skin types have helped you or maybe taken you that one step further to determining your skin type. It's important so you know how to care for and treat your skin in order to achieve beautiful results and that its fullest potential is reached.

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Back To Basics - 23:08

Back To Basics | Do You Know Your Skin Type?

Image Source: Google Knowing your skin type is very important not only because it determines the type of makeup you use but also aids i...

Gone are the days where I would buy every product which had a good review on YouTube or Blogger. I've realised that less is more with facial products (well for my skin anyway).

Obviously this post is just about products I use daily that work for me and what works for me may not necessarily work for you.

About My Skin

• In order to determine my skin type I visited Clinique for a quick consultation as I wasn't 100% sure of what skin type I had and I wanted to make sure I was using the right type of products for it. She asked me a few questions and felt my skin, then came to a conclusion that I had normal skin. She did mention that Clinique do not make products specifically for normal skin and that if I do decide to buy their 3-step kit, I should purchase dry combination (type 2). Normal skin requires good maintenance of pH balance in the skin but I haven't really started looking into that yet.

• I've suffered from dry skin in the past as I used to have Eczema but over the years after prescribed creams and lotions I do not suffer from Eczema on my face.

• I would say though I have normal skin, my skin is also sensitive and I develop rashes and irritations on my face mainly when I've had an allergy to either food or a facial product.

• I also very rarely suffer from spots and I don't have the most even complexion.

My Current Routine

1. If I am wearing makeup, I start off by using my Nivea Visage Facial Cleansing Wipes For Normal/Combination Skin to remove as much makeup as I can from my face. (Night)

2. I then splash hot water on my face to open my pores and apply two pumps of No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser in a circular motion. I let this cleanser sit for about 10mins before washing it off. Initially I was using this with a muslin cloth but I couldn't be bothered to buy a new cloth (lazy I know) so now I just use my hands or sometimes my sponge to wash it off. I remove this cleanser using circular upwards motions and rinse using lukewarm water. I feel this cleanser really helps remove the traces of makeup that couldn't be removed by wipes. (Night)

3. After using the hot cloth cleanser, I wash my face using Grisi Seaweed Soap. I have used this soap for years and even after trying new soaps, I will always run back to this as it is my favourite. It really makes my skin feel lovely and hydrated and I feel weird if it is not used. (Morning/Night)

4. Once my face is clean and all traces of foundation has been removed, I pat my face dry with a towel and use Clinique Take Off The Day Eyes, Lids and Lips Remover just to make sure all traces of eyeliner/mascara which was not removed by the above products is removed. I know I use the remover in a funny order and it should be one of the first things but I guess I've made it a habit of using it at this point. (Click here for a review). (Night)

5. I wipe my face in circular motions using Clearasil Pore Cleansing Pads just to guarantee a spot free face. I love this product! (Click here for a review). (Morning/Night)

6. And finally, I moisturise my face using Renew Intensive Skin Therapy. I recommend this moisturising lotion to those with skin on the drier side as it is very soothing and helps your skin retain moisture. I use it daily and it is very good for when I suffer from irritations. (Morning/Night)

Although I don't have a picture, I moisturise my lips with MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner for soft lips when I wake up.

As requested by one of my readers, this is my current skincare routine. This is what works for me and keeps my skin hydrated, smooth and free from blemishes. I do not skip my routine regardless of whether I am tired or not because I care a lot about it.

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Skin care - 01:36

My Current Daily Skincare Routine

Gone are the days where I would buy every product which had a good review on YouTube or Blogger. I've realised that less is more wi...

Helloooo ♥

From the title I'm sure it is pretty obvious that I've come to rave about a product lol

Today's product rave is about 'Clearasil Pore Cleansing Pads'.

"Deep cleansing action to help clear and prevent breakouts"

Now I'm sure there will be many of you out there who are battling spots but can't find a solution. I'm not saying this will be a miracle product for you but just a suggestion that you may want to give it a go and see how it works with your skin.

I had spot free skin up until maybe last year September, then when I got to uni I would get the occasional spot here and there. It wasn't severe and any spot I did have would be quite small anyway but I just wasn't used to it and I've always said spots were one of my biggest fears so when I did get them I would make a fuss. Since then I started paying more attention to looking after my skin and bought so many products to try and get rid of any spot I did have but some didn't work and some just made it worse.

All this while my best friend kept going on about the Clearasil Pore Cleansing Pads but I never really paid much attention because she had perfect skin anyway and I thought she was just exaggerating. My sister had a huge reaction from using a Clearasil product (her face swelled up and everything!) so that also made me a bit skeptical about buying this. But you know me, I always give in when it comes to buying beauty products so one day when I was in Wilkinson I stumbled across it and thought it was time to give it a go! Since my purchase I have never looked back!

"The textured pads exfoliate skin while the spot fighting formula penetrates deep into pores to help clear and prevent breakouts"

With this product, I am back to having the smooth spot-free skin I once had and haven't suffered a break out since.

I know everyone's skin is different and what may work for me may not work for you but I just thought I'd share this great product with you anyway.

I use 1-2 pads both in the morning and evening after I've washed my face. I know you're not meant to over-exfoliate but I'm really fussy and I will wipe this over my face until I've got a clear pad so that I know my face is clean that is why sometimes I use 2 pads instead of 1.

Pack quantity: 65 pads

Price: £3.58 from Wilkinsons

Availability: Most drug stores/Pharmacies, Wilkinsons, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsburys, Boots, Asda, etc

Will you be trying this out?

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Skin care - 18:39

Product Rave | Clearasil Pore Cleansing Pads

Helloooo ♥ From the title I'm sure it is pretty obvious that I've come to rave about a product lol Today's product rave...

If you can remember, a couple of months ago I made a post on a few Clinique samples that my mum was given when she made a purchase (for those who cannot remember or may not have seen the post, just click here). The bag of samples included a small sized bottle of a make up remover called 'Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips'.

"Makeup remover for lids, lashes and lips. Unique, two-way formula that loosens the grip, then speeds the departure of the most persistent, eye makeups, mascara and lipsticks. Ophthalmologist tested. Suitable for contact lens wearers."

One thing I do not like doing is sleeping with makeup on my face. In my opinion wipes is not enough to thoroughly get your makeup off and it usually does not fully remove my eye makeup. After sampling this, I realised that a day cannot go by without me using it so I purchased a full sized bottle. This product does a very good job at removing my eyeliner and mascara without any traces of them left. Usually I find it hard removing mascara but this remover is good for even the most stubborn eye and lip makeups.

Ever had a lipstick that just won't come off and stains your lips? Well I have and it can be so annoying. When I want a product removed, I want it removed completely. I hate being left with stains and traces! Since I've been using the remover, I've never had this problem as it removes every last bit of eye and lip makeup (I don't wear eye-shadow so I'm not sure how well it removes that).

I usually use a large oval cotton pad for removal.

This makeup remover feels like it is oil-based but it does not leave your skin feeling greasy! It makes your eye and lip area feel so soft as it gently but effectively removes product.

Enough of me going on and on about how well this product works but I will conclude and say this is the best remover I've used to date.

By the way, I do not use this to remove foundation as it is not specified for this use and Clinique has another product for this.

For All Skin Types

Price: £14.50 (Currently on offer for £13.05 at Debenhams and John Lewis (online)

Size: 125ml

Availability: All Clinique counters, John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser. (Also available online)