My Current Skincare Essentials

Following my latest Tropic Skincare Haul, I thought it might be time to write up my skincare essentials. I have a few staple favourites now that really do never fail to deliver.

My skin type is oily/ combination, that also occasionally breaks out. So my skincare needs to be focused on keeping me matte but also hydrated, not irritate my sensitive skin and deal with any breakouts that may occur. That is why I love Tropic, they are completely gluten-free and natural.

The go-to cleanser that seriously melts away any form of make-up that you want to put in its way, is the Tropic Soothing Cleanser Complexion Purifier. I have previously been told that my lipstick is like concrete, just stuck in place so for this to be able to simply wipe it away and leave my skin feeling super soft and refreshed; how can I ever stray? You do need to use the Bamboo cloth, that is supplied with it to properly remove the cleanser, but don't let that bother you. The bamboo cloth itself is very soft and pretty much cleans itself.

My essential daytime moisturiser has got to be the Estee Lauder DayWear Matte, I haven't found another moisturiser quite like it. This one is lightweight, gel-like and does exactly what it says on the box. My skin is kept matte all day long, even helping to prolong my foundation and calm any breakouts I may get. Oil Free and non-acnegenic, meaning it won't clog up your pores for smooth skin instantly. You really don't have to wait at all for this stuff to soak into the skin, making it perfect for those in a hurry. (I have not been able to confirm whether this moisturiser is gluten free or not, but will update as soon as I am certain).

For a night cream, I use the Tropic Night Repair Cell Renewal Cream, which is just amazing and such a pleasure to use. After searching for quite some time, I decided to try this out and fell instantly in love, my skin is left silky smooth with no sticky residue and what's more, it doesn't cause me to breakout either. I have even seen results with some fine lines I have started to see appear prior to using this cream, especially on my neck. It smells gorgeous too, so it sends you off to sleep smelling great.

Finally my newest skincare essential is the Tropic Face Smooth Brightening Polish, an exfoliator that only needs to be done 2-3 times a week. However is guaranteed to provide you with much softer, smoother skin after first use, I have noticed that my foundation is so much easier to apply and appears to be almost airbrushed since using this. Having heard so many you-tubers rave about exfoliation as a prep for airbrushed skin, I knew I needed to give it a try. This is the best one I have tried by far and doesn't have any of those nasty plastic beads or chemicals.

Have you got any skincare essentials I should try?

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Birchbox X Ohh Deer January 2018

Having had My Little Box taken away from me I have had a hole in my life every month... fellow Subscription Box lovers will understand! I had found the one that I truly loved and that never failed to disappoint, so now that the mourning period is over I am on the hunt for a replacement. 

Enter Birchbox, I have seen these boxes pop up on my feed many times and whilst they have never really wowed me before with their content I thought it was about time I gave them a shot. That and they had an offer on, where I got two boxes for the price of one.

January's box was in collaboration with a Company called Ohh Deer, one I am not familiar with. They are a stationery company and boy did the box look super pretty!!! Within the box you got a set of planner stickers designed by Ohh Deer, to fit in with the box's look. I would like to say that there is a theme with the box, however, I cannot seem to ascertain an actual theme with this box..

Rituals, the Ritual of Ayurveda Foaming Shower Gel (Travel-size), R.R.P £4.50. This is a rich gel that transforms into a decadent foam. Sure to add some luxury to your morning shower, with soothing sweet almond oil and Indian rose. I found that it worked very well with my body puff and continued to foam even after it had been applied to the entirety of my body.

PARLOR Moisturising & Repairing Shampoo (Travel-size), R.R.P £16. Free of sulfates, parabens, and gluten; as well as being cruelty-free, this shampoo is off to a great start. This is lightweight but super hydrating; with lemongrass extract, sweet almond extract, oat kernel extract, and panthenol. These all work together to protect your hair from daily damage, gently cleanse and leave your hair ultra soft.

Lord & Berry Blusher Crayon in Peach, £15. This is something I was a little nervous about using, I mean once you have spent all that time applying your foundation etc. then you draw on with a blusher crayon? It could all go wrong right? Well, it didn't ruin my hard work, but it was quite hard to work with. I didn't want to scribble too much on and then have too much on, but drawing a circle on the apples seemed to do the trick. Rubbing it in with your fingers seemed to be the best way to blend, but I did find that up close it made my foundation look a little cakey and patchy. This blusher is cruelty-free and free from nuts & gluten, according to their website.

Marcelle, Waterproof Eyeliner in Charcoal (Travel-size), R.R.P £10.99. I am always happy to receive an eyeliner in beauty box's because let's face it, we always need a good eyeliner. That said this colour is probably not what I would usually go for, it does glide on smoothly and seems to stay in place most of the day.

Afterspa, Amazing Makeup Remover (Travel-size), R.R.P £5.50. I am always skeptical of these sorts of items, especially when it claims to only require water to remove your makeup. I have pretty stubborn make-up that requires just as stubborn cleansers to remove it, so when I tried this out I wasn't hoping for much. I was amazed to find that it did indeed remove all the make-up visible to the naked eye, the real test was when I followed up with my usual facial wash and bamboo cloth. That did show a very faint sign of make-up still on my face, so if you want to be completely clean, then you I wouldn't skip a cleanser. The other thing I found was that the Aftespa was filthy after use and wouldn't clean just under the tap, meaning you would have to wash it after every use. I don't know about you, but I can't be asked with having to wash a face cloth every single time I use it.

At the start, I said that I received two boxes for the price of one, well here is everything in one image. I was pretty happy to have received the Mermaid Edition box as I actually debated getting that box when I saw it featured back in August.

My Verdict, overall I wasn't initially wowed by this box. The main thing that I really liked was the cute little box design and stationary stickers. I find beauty box's to be a bit of a hit and miss when you are a makeup hoarder like me, especially when you prefer higher end brands. That said when I actually tried out the shampoo and shower gel, my opinion was swayed a little and I can see the benefits of trying out new products that are actually indulgent. I think I will give Birchbox a few months to see whether they are worth the money or not.

Keep an eye out for the follow-up review of the Mermaid Vibes Box.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Is It Okay to Date Other People?*

Now I have started to get back out there and date again, I am wondering whether it is okay to date or see more than one person. I am not talking about if you're in a dead serious relationship that has been going on for some time, because we all know that would be a certain NO! 

After a recent girls night out where we discussed many different lifestyle choices and whats going wrong with the world, as we all usually do. I brought up the notion of dating other people, because I had just been on a date with a guy the other day. Whilst he is very nice, confident and extremely different from those I have dated in the past, I am just not 100% sure.

The funny thing is I try to avoid Valentines day as much as I can, so when I saw that the C2C Concert I will be going to in a few weeks is hosting a Speed Dating event before the concert kicks off, I thought what the heck. I need to sign up to that, after all, I might find my very own Country loving Bumpkin.

This is again something I brought up in the discussion and I was shocked to find that I didn't need to feel guilty, I've only been on one date with this guy after all. As the girls said, it's all fair game until you have THE TALK. The talk about whether you're exclusive or not.

I guess when you think about it, we all do it, we all talk to several people on dating sites for a while before deciding to meet one or two. You might even carry on talking to a few even after meeting one, because you can't put all your eggs in one basket. As long as you're not sleeping around and you're just meeting up, what's the harm at the end of the day?

There are some things to be aware of though, don't date several guys just because you can and think you won't get caught. I would be honest about it, you will probably find that they are doing exactly the same or that they aren't being completely honest about what they want from the future relationship.

Just because you are dating these guys doesn't mean you have to settle for these guys, don't settle just for the sake of it. It can be a great way to determine what you are looking for in a relationship, just be careful not to hurt anyone in the process. Remember you wouldn't want to be strung along, so don't string them along.

Well that's my take on it. What is your view, would you date more than one guy at a time?

If you're after some dating sites head over to Date Birmingham Singles, Date Warwickshire Singles, Date Glasgow Singles, Date Wiltshire Singles or Date Guernsey Singles and so on.

* This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Tropic Skincare Haul

I am always skeptical of companies making claims left, right and centre, but Tropic are not one of those companies. They never fail to disappoint me with their skincare, and as I am getting older I am starting to think about looking after my skin a lot more.  

As a coeliac, I am always very vigilant with whether there is any Gluten in certain skincare items. I mean if it could end up in my mouth, then the likely hood is that I will ingest it. Tropic do not put any gluten, parabens, palm oil, beeswax, mineral oils, microbeads and so in their products. For the full list head over to their Beliefs and Values page.

After suffering with chapped and sore hands for a few months, using generic hand creams that only seemed to help the symptoms for a short period, I thought I would give the Award Winning Superfood Hand Therapy a try. I wasn't expecting too much after speaking to my representative, however after just one use my hands were instantly relieved and the moisture replenished. The cream is thin and soaks into the skin almost instantly leaving no sticky residue. It really is a perfect hand cream.

As much as I love my Matte Lipsticks, you do need to apply a lip balm prior to application. I had been after a new balm, I thought the Lip Love Balm looked to be the best option. It works brilliantly under my lipsticks and doesn't interfere with the wear at all, my lips are left completely moisturised. The great thing about this balm is that it is also a multi-use balm, I have found that it works great as a cuticle cream too.

I have been using the Soothing Cleanser Complexion Cleanser for a while now and I have written a separate review on this in the past, so won't go into too much detail. However, since using this cleanser I have not strayed from it. With my stubborn make-up and sensitive skin, this cleanser is the perfect solution which easily melts away even my Melted Matte Lipstick! When I do get breakouts, I find that this cleanser really helps to sooth and clear it within a few days. If you are on the fence about Tropic, then this is the perfect stepping stone into the range because it will truly blow you away!

Having entered into the beauty blogging industry, I am growing aware of the best ways to look after your skin and apply make-up. Exfoliating is one of the recommended ways to achieve a flawless look, with all these plastic bead exfoliators out there and harsh chemicals it can be hard to know which one to choose. So that lead me to give the Face Smooth Brightening Polish a try, let me say I am so happy I did. It is amazing! Whilst the exfoliation process is a little harsh (as with any), when you go to rinse off the polish it starts to melt and leaves your skin incredibly silky soft.  

With my age and skin, I have been looking for a night cream that aims towards anti-aging and doesn't break me out. My representative gave me a sample of the Night Repair Cell Renewal Cream and I was amazed. It was so luxurious and honestly I feel like it helped to soften some lines I have started to get. It hasn't broken me out at all, and the smell is just decadent.

I cannot wait to explore some more of the skincare range, and will probably try some body care next time. I seem to forget to moisturise my body these days, maybe if I bought something luxurious from Tropic I might actually use it.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

That 70s Style & A Chunky Knit

With Spring rolling in and the nights getting brighter finally, I am starting to enjoy wearing brighter bolder colours. This look incidentally ended up looking a bit like a 70's style, which I have to say I am totally digging man..

This floral shirt is new to my collection from Oasis, the fabric is so soft and silky, which is perfect for any occasion. In my mind you can create many variations of looks with these items of clothing, I am just awaiting the slightly warmer months to break out some skirts. 

I was out for afternoon tea with my Mother & Nan, so felt under pressure with those two telling me how to stand and pose. That said, I had a pretty nice time at The Folly in Holt, they were pretty accommodating with regards to my Gluten Free requests.

Even though it was spitting, I thought it was quite warm so was able to bust out my chunky knit. This has to be one of the best buys I have found in the New Look sales, I think I actually got it last year.

Shirt: Oasis
Jeans: Forever 21
Boots: F&F
Glasses: Specsavers
Cardigan: Newlook

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

How I Really Feel About My Weight Loss

After a year or so of ongoing tests, back and fourth to the doctors/ hospital I am still no closer to knowing why I have and am still losing weight. It has torn me up inside and out, leading me to breaking point. This is the reason why I am writing this post, not for sympathy or awe, but understanding of what I have been going through.

Most people would look at the image above and be elated that they have lost that much weight, that they have pretty much no body fat and are starting to see their ribs. Most people don't understand that for me I am 28, I am slimmer than I was when I was in high school and I should not have a child's body. For me a woman's body includes a bit of body fat where the ribs are covered.

Trying to See The Benefits of Online Dating*

Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees, but we all must try to persist, after all what we may think is unbearable isn't going to be as bad as what someone else thinks. It can also be said that what may be right for one person, may not be right for another. 

After recently going on a couple of dates with one guy, following my speed dating experience, which was clearly going no where. Not because he was a horrible guy or anything in that respect, purely on the fact that we just didn't click. He didn't make me laugh at all throughout the whole time we spent together and to be quite frank, you need that kind of attraction to make the physical attraction work.

January Lookback 2018

This year I plan on doing more and having more to say, so with that in mind, it would only be right  to bring back my Lookbacks! January has certainly been a good start to the year, I have pushed myself to get out of my shell and go to events that have made me meet some new people.