Poisoned Apple Bags Review and Q&A

Hi!
I finally got to ask the lovely lady behind Poisoned Apple Bags,

some of the questions you asked via my instagram and twitter! Also i got my hands on one of her EPIC creations, which i have reviewed below after the q&a;

Q & A

#1 How long have you been into making your own items? And what were the original creations before bags?
  > I've always been a bit 'crafty'; making jewellery or a bit of cross stitch. Before i started making bags I made handmade candles and then developed into decoupaged shoes and bags. I was taking lessons from my mum into how to sew with a machine, and many, many tutorials on Youtube later I now make my bags :)

#2 What was the hardest thing for you, when you first decided to start up your own buisness?
  > Last year when i started with my shoes . It was a bit of an accident to start a business from doing something I liked to do. It was the same with my bags, I made some and people liked them... and boom! Almost a year later I'm establishing a little fanbase in my corner of the world.

#3 What are the key three things you'd go back and tell your younger, pre-bag making, self?
  > First thing would be just to try everything! Don't be afraid of anything. If you want to learn - learn! The second thing is to just enjoy everything and the minute you stop enjoying it - stop doing it. The 3rd and final thing would be just to be prepared for negativity. Unfortunately there are a lot of keyboard warriors out there- so develop a thick skin, keep your head up and just have faith- you'll be ok!

#4 What are your top tips for first-time bag makers, or people who want to get there own crafty buisness up and running?
  > My top tip is just to keep trying things. If something doesn't work, try something different. Watch tutorials, read some books - there are some fab free patterns out there too so give it a go! Social media plays a big part in a business these days so get out there!

#5 What inspires you and your bags?
> I take inspiration from everywhere really. Fabrics of all colours and patterns.

#6 Why did you choose the brand name "poisoned apple"?
> Poisoned Apple was inspired by Disney. I am obsessed with the Disney movies and especially love the villains so when thinking of a brand this did stick out to me :) Its fun with a darker edge which i think matches my style :)

#7 Where can we find you- any up coming events and website links?
> I'm slowly winding down for 2014 now but you can always order from my website HERE or find me on twitter @poisonedapple14 - look out for next years events soon!


THE BAG...

 There was one word i kept repeating when i got my amazing bag in the post; Unique. Every bag from this store is! And usually featuring belovid characters or villans from tv and film.
 I was literally over the moon when i opened my box, it was wrapped beautifully, with personalised 'Poisoned Apple' Ribbon, all colour co-ordinated wrapping too! It's definetly the little details that add to these items.
My bag was featuring Malificent... which that in itself had me hooked, but not only does it feature one of the best Disney Villans, it also has plenty of beautiful embelishments and ribbon, a detachable shoulder chain, and its fully lined and feels sterdy enough to handle all your bits and pieces when you're out and about. And because it's such a unique item it definetly stands out in the crowd, and anyone in that crowd with a gd-ye will immediatly seek you out and compliment you endlessly! (Trust me i know first-hand).
I had one of the smaller ones and still managed to fit my phone, purse, keys and a few make-up essentials in it for my staff Christmas Meal. It's ideal and i genuinely cannot fault it. It's practical and stunning to look at and is made to a high quality standard. Im thorougly impressed!

Poisoned Apple Bags Collaboration!

I am excited to announce i shall be working along-side the lady behind Poisoned Apple Bags. 
These unique and quirky bags are INSANE and will leave any fan of Nerd/Geek paraphernalia DROOLING.  
 Between her light-heated approach and amazing designs you'll be as addicted as i am. Every time she posts a new creation i get all excited insinde. 


Also if  YOU want to work for her for a night at a London Catwalk show- brick lane, on November 13th contact me or go over to Poisoned Apples Twitter HERE -It's unpaid unfortunately but there will be catwalk pictures offered for your portfolio as well as being featured on my Blog!



Also check out her website: http://www.po-ap.com/, and her etsy store https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PoAp?ref=l2-shopheader-name to have a look through all of her pretty things, and keep an eye open for me too! :p 
Lots more awesome things to come, but please do go and check this awesome lady out! You wont regret it. 
XxX

June/July Faves, what I've been up to, why i've been quiet and HOW MANY VIEWS?!

In simple terms...there have been a lot of issues.
The End.

...But please read on for more!

Smells amazing!

After many job/money issues my partner and I are now moving at the end of the month and downsizing, to a much nicer and may i add Warmer house! Right next to a beautiful park with a river, and when i say next to, i mean literally i can hop over the wall and i'll be in the park! Whoop! so i've been busy packing this month- (as in august) so nothing really interesting to report. BUT, June and July were pretty darn good months! Although we were having to be frugal with spending i did hit up a few charity shops (thrift shops) and found a couple of awesome finds!

 I also found this awesome quilted folder, seems to be hand made, or hand-repaired. Its so soft and looks amazing. I love this kind of "weathered" vintage look to things. Its just larger than A4 Size so i've been using it to keep my sketch book in.

 Other things i've done the past few months, i've been focusing mainly on beauty or haul related blog posts, and this seems to be what all you guys love! I've had OVER 2000 views on my blog now! Which is INSANE for a small town girl like me, but not only that my Google+ page has been viewed so many times i'm literally blown away! Over 33,000! i tell no lies!

I've been catching up with Supernatural, seems as they are on season 10 now i thought i'd best get up to date! I've been slacking! And in true fan-girl terms this means I've power-watched through from season 1 to 5 in a matter of weeks (around work and packing). and i have also re-discovered my 9 year long obsession with that damn Impala! OMNOMNOM

Also for my sins i discovered the American section in Tesco where i live, i now have an possible incurable addiction to Peanut butter Oreo's.

Sorry things have been so boring! As i said i am moving the end of this month and once i am all moved in i will hopefully begin my Vlog! whoop! especially with my nice shiny  new surroundings! Plus MY BIRTHDAY is the end of the month too so hopefully if I've been good enough i'll have a birthday haul to show you guys too!

As usual please follow me via;
    Instagram (@sway1988)
   Facebook
   Twitter (@swaytenshi)
   She Said Beauty
   Blog Lovin'

Thanks again for all your support so far!
XxX

Wreck this Journal!

Thought i'd do a fun keep-track of my Wreck this Journal Stuffs! So you can steal ideas or just keep up to tabs with what im doing! Im not doing it in any order and i may not even get all the pages done but i'll post up my wreck-it updates as soon as i do them! I bought my paperback copy from tesco for £5.

My Hair from Long to Short of it- and pros and cons.

(Basic pros and cons are at the bottom if you want to skip past my tale) 
  Like any modern day woman i'm in-decisive and constantly wanting to change and update my look. And up until two years ago, my look with my hair anyway was always long jet black hair, right from the age of 15/ 16. 

 

Even on my wedding day i still had my long black hair, i have had it cut a few times, or a few red streaks added etc but its pretty much always been like this. But then

apparently like most other "new brides" i went through the usual crisis of wanting a dramatic change now that i was a married woman. I'd realized that my fashion sense was my own and i didn't have to follow any trends so in order to make myself more unique and more like who i felt i should be, i had all of my hair lobbed off!

I believe it was one of the best things i've ever done. It was like i'd chopped off my security blanket that i was hiding behind and stepped out from the crowed, now i could have some fun! as sad as that sounds that's what changing my hair meant to me! it's exactly what it did! i was more confident in myself, in my style and more inclined to try new looks and that lead me to lightening my hair and eventually going blonde.

 Again stepping away from my security blanket of long black hair... i now had short blonde hair! Which also meant i could do a lot more with it! i ended up being able to do so much with my hair i think its one of the best things i've ever done! I'd had it white, lilac, pink...even multi. i felt i could express myself easier.

And now i'm right up to a pixie crop!

ANYWAY thats my quick hair length journey, now to the part you're really here for, should you cut your hair or grow it out? Here's a list of my personal pros and cons i've discovered. 

Pros and Cons:

• Long hair was easy to hide when it was getting a little dirty, you could easily whack it up in a bun or pony tail and no one would know, so with short hair its more effort - BUT the miracle that is Dry shampoo covers a multitude of sins with short hair! 
• Short hair uses less products, You may have to wash your hair more often and use some styling products like wax etc but over-all your shampoo usage is halved and the excuse "i'm washing my hair" doesn't work anymore. 
• Its quicker and easier to work with when its short, and you don't really have any of those "my hair wont do what i want it to" with styles etc.
• You can still have different hair styles day to day with short hair, especially as short as mine, you can pin back the fringe for a cute quiff or spike it up and volumise it for an edgy OTT quiff or even gel into a mow-hawk.
• Its easier to change your colour- there's less hair to actually damage, you don't need to use as much dye and you can go for bold bright colours without investing hours in bleaching, conditioning, re-bleaching to get the colour out of the saturated long ends where you've been dying it for years. 
• Lastly- and not meant as a 'dig' at people with long hair but i find personally i stand out from the crowd more, i'm not mixed with the generic long hair- pretty girls. Not that that's a bad thing if that is what you like, but personally I've never been a "pretty" girl, I've always been a Kick-your ass, tattoos, motorbikes and decorate my house with skulls and roses kinda woman. And for me short hair was the best choice I've ever made. Its made me step out of my shell and away from the usual conforms of what i thought was my personal fashion- when actually i was just trying to be like everyone else. Girls with their long luscious hair are beautiful but i was trying to be them and it really just wasn't me. 

   I'll be the first to admit i do get hair envy when i see someone with long blonde hair, but it last for a second and then i remember why i got rid of my curtain and stopped hiding myself away behind it all. There's no hiding now! It's the same as women with straight hair will always want curly and people with naturally curly will always want straight. I guess were blessed with being able to have the choices we do now. You can cut it off or grow it out, or straighten it or perm it.

   If your thinking of going short its a long-term commitment you have to live with for years before it'll grow back out again so think long and hard, but if you're doing it for the right reasons it'll be the best thing you've probably ever done. 

Just think before you chop!

XxX

Sick Plugs!

I have two words for you this week; SICK PLUGS

   This is -in comparison- a small business, but run just as efficiently, if not more so, from the beautiful home and office of an amazingly feisty woman named Tori. I've been following her (in a completely non-stalker way) on Facebook for about a year now, after discovering one of her many happy customers posting a picture of their purchase on Instagram and i was jealous. I can safely say it's one of the best companies I've followed and bought form in a long time. There's pretty much CONSTANT customer-company contact, and following her on Facebook and Instagram you also get a brief insight into the hectic life of a self-employed genius and her dog Stormie (who's adorable).
You can see she puts every ounce of effort into running this business and it really pays off, for instance;
Last weekend Sick Plugs ran a "Wet weekend" discount code for 50% off all orders (offer now finished)- after outrage following the horrid images of anti-homeless spikes in

London- Tori put up the code and has donated a large amount of that weekends' profits to homeless charities, not to mention in her home town she already does a lot to help the homeless... that is just one teeny reason she is so epic! Of course i couldn't resist a cheeky 50% off and for a good cause so i bought myself some Pikachu plugs. The arrived within 3 days, perfectly packaged, and it's

obvious the Sick Plugs 'Wet Weekend' offer has been popular, with all the awesome images of peoples plugs being shared on Sicks' Instagram and Facebook.
I've been thinking about getting the Pikachu plugs for the past few months and when i did originally go to buy them they were out of stock, but no sad face here! - she kept me up to date on when new stock was arriving which was brilliant, and as Sick usually shares exciting images of their new stock i knew straight away when they were back in! The Pikachu plugs are £6 each and range from 6mm (2g) to 24mm (1").
Another example of how awesome Sick is; Over Easter she got her loyal customers to send in Easter eggs for a local children's hospital, and in return they got a 30% discount code, how freakin' awesome is that!? They regularly run codes, and competitions, also recently started a trend with her Facebook followers of "Guess the plugs" where she posts a photo and you have to guess how many there are to win some! -These are Just a few examples of what this company does on a daily basis so you can see why they're highly recommended by everyone who buys from them.
You can usually find Sick Plugs at most large Tattoo conventions across the UK; the company seems to go hand-in-hand with epic tattooists, as Sick also recently featured exclusive Miss Jo-Black Tattooist artwork on some of her limited edition artist plugs, actually the awesome Miss-Jo done an amazing Moth Tattoo on Tori recently, which i totally nerded-out over as some of my old followers will know a Miss-Jo Black Tattoo is on my

bucket list! Other artists also featured on their plugs are Jenna Kerr and Just Jen Tattooer. All of these exclusive designs are around £5/£6 each and i actually think some are featured in a sale on the Sick Plugs site.
          I've featured a few of my favorite plugs below, linked for your pleasure. I do really recommend you go and follow Tori (and Stormies) adventures via Sick Plugs on Facebook and Instagram. Even just for entertainment purposes.

The next plugs on my list to buy are the Snowglobe Plugs. They're insane and appeal to my inner-magpie so they must be purchased! They come in 4 different colours; Mother of Pearl, Pink, Blue and Purple. These are a tad more expensive at £8 each but totally worth every penny. I haven't seen one person who has been disappointed with the Snow Globes and they look stunning on. These start at 10mm (00g) and can go up to 40mm in some colours.

Close behind the Snowglobes and along the same lines are the newly added BLOODGLOBES, in all their gory awesomeness! £8 each In various sizes.

Also for my Ultimate Nerd-gasm are the Adventure Time Plugs, a few different styles but here is LSP in all her Globbing Glory. These are £6 each.

Other Plugs include; Ghostbusters, Daryl Dixon, Breaking Bad, Little Mirmaid, Wood-effect, Stainless steel, glow in the dark, VW logo, Glitter, Mario, Zelda, Storm troopers, Finding Nemo... these are all just what i can remember off the top of my head. There was...maybe...perhaps...a slight...very brief mention... of some FROZEN plugs which literally were revealed yesterday!.... 

For now i suggest you go to Sick Plugs and shop your heart out! There are some amazing plugs in the £1 sale section so GO GO GO!!!
ALSO Exream Largness will be selling Sick Plug items at DOWNLOAD this weekend so dont miss out on that! If you're reading this on your phone in your tent get off your butt and go support an awesome UK company!

Get sharing your images and get involved on their Facebook Page. Following Sick Plugs will be a great addition to your FB wall, your Instagram feed and to your ears that you wont regret!

Also ladles and jellyspoons don't forget to follow me on my Facebook page or over on my Instagram for future competitions and prizes i have coming up! 

*Note; I was not approached by Sick Plugs to write this, this is my OWN review, my OWN opinion and my OWN money i used to buy the plugs. All prices and sizes correct at the time of publishing.

Quick One!

I've been really quiet of late, as i have had no device on which to communicate with you all...except my phone, but i'm not typing out an entire blog post on my phone...instead after much begging and asking around i have a Laptop... it's a really old Toshiba- been-in-the-loft-too-long kinda powered-by-coal looking machine...but, it connects to the interwebz... i can type on it... and it will let me blog from it! WHOOP!
So i shall return to my regular blogging momentarily! :) 
Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has visited my blog, and when i'm back up and running again in a few days i'll be pushing to get more followers on my Instagram (Here)so i can do a GIVEAWAY like ye good olde days! 
Love ya! 
xxx

Boots Beauty Haul

Oh My Word!!! If it was ever possible for me to fall head over heels with a set of false nails it has happened... on my trip to Boots to buy some beauty essentials (and not-so essentials) I discovered these; Ted Baker Floral False Nails. They are stunning. Simple as that and they're £8 for the full set. I would have bought them had i not realised i'm now doing Manicures and Pedicures as part of my beauty course, so I wouldn't be able to wear them as i have to have my nails done every week (oh the horror!) 
So, after that epic pout fest in the middle of my local Boots store I proceeded to make myself feel better buy buying some new Barry M Nail Polish. The have a new "Aquarium" range which is filled with these beautiful pearlescent colours; I bought shade AQNP3- which is basically a gold/pink shimmer.

There are a few other colours, next on the agenda will be their AQNP6 which is a Teal/blue and looks like the Mermaid leggings from Black Milk. Link to the varnishes is HERE.

From Barry M i also bought myself some Matte Black nail polish, i have the Matte in a Nude colour for sensible occasions but i needed to let my old inner gothy rock chick out! Both of these were £3.99 in Boots (uk).

Next was a new beauty sponge from Real Techniques. It was £5 and boasted to be better than all the other shaped sponges for make up application as it has a variety of different surfaces for different areas of the face. I will admit i used it once and the Complexion Sponge is amazing. It doesn't eat up all your product and the odd angles and shapes literally does mean you can get your foundation into every single area of your face for even coverage. It also has some online tutorials which i've linked HERE. 

Last but not least, my new favorite blush; from Seventeen, is their Cheek Stamp Blush. I got mine in the shade "Blush" simply becasue it has a beautiful sheen to it when its on your skin. I've noticed a lot of reviews for this item and people seem to be unable to get their heads around that the blush product is actually in the lid, essentially behind the handy mirror you get with it, and when you puff the little spring-loaded pad back into the lid that loads up the pad with the pigment! When it's stored away again the act of screwing the pad side back in retracts the pad area away from the blush itself so it doesn't over-load, simple! :) 

As I said, it's the sheen that drew my attention to it. It just makes your skin look like it's glowing. The link to this is HERE and it is £4.99.

XxX

Skin Analysis: What is your skin type?

Sorry this is a week late but i have been having issues, namely HAIR issues, i shall explain that though in another blog post... for now, as promised here's a definitive way of determining what skin type you are so you can buy the correct cosmetic products to help enhance and even-out your skins' appearance, also featuring a few celebrities. After each type I've linked a few beauty products ideal for that skin type; some high end, some drug-store. 
HERE is Clinique's step by step choices using your skin type.

1)Normal Skin
 This skin type is very VERY rare- in fact it's quite likely that no one you know is going to have completely "Normal" skin all over. Your skin can Combine two skin types, as in one can commonly be "Normal" with an "Oily t-zone" (this is Combination skin as described in the next point) but it's highly unlikely they will be "Normal" all over. 
A Normal skin type is identified by it's even appearance, matte finish, no visible pours and no redness or "sallow" (yellow) appearance. - Usually someone with combination skin will have Normal skin on their cheeks and upper forehead. Basically, all-over "Normal" skin is only achievable through Photoshop. 

2)Combination Skin
Combination is the most common, simply because it covers most bases- it is literally a Combination of two or more of any of the mentioned skin types in this post. As simple as that. Obviously products in stores that are for "Combination" skin are usually designed around people with "Oily and Normal" combination skin. But some can be tailored to specific combinations like "Mature and Dry" etc.. so just read packaging carefully.
Dermalogica Normal/Oily Skin complete KIT
Nivea Oily to Combination Day Cream

3)Dry Skin
 Dry skin will have a naturally Matte appearance, will appear flaky on the surface (NOT to be confused with Psoriasis or Eczema). There will be very small or no visible pours when looking closely in the mirror, and skin will be quite thin, with capillaries on your cheek area (small, teeny-tiny thin red lines).
 You will want an oil-based or cream based make-up remover for daily use, and a cream cleanser. If you use toner (which you should!) it should have a very low or no alcohol content. If you want to pamper yourself you need a non-setting mask, aka: avoid clay masks! If you can still move your face while it's on then it's the one for you! And your daily moisturizer should be high in oil content. 
Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster
Dermalogica Dry Skin Kit
Eucerin Dry Skin Relief - Face
Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Match For Dry Skin.

4)Mature Skin
 Believe it or not you can be classed as having "Mature skin" from the age of around 25 plus. No it doesn't mean you need to retire now and put away the hot pants! It's simply a way of categorizing your skin type. All it means is you've lost some of the elasticity in your skin, this happens over time to everyone and means your skin is no longer producing enough collagen to fight against gravity, so your skin may begin to sag around your neck and cheeks.
 You will have visible lines and wrinkles around your eyes, mouth, and on your forehead- perhaps small but if they're their i'm sure you'll have seen them! 
 Your skin becomes thinner, and more sallow (yellow) in appearance, and will seem quite dull. Older skin also begins to develop Pigmented areas or "Age Spots". 
Ideally you'll be wanting to use a cream cleanser and a refreshing toner. Any anti-aging beauty product will be great for your skin, although as a side note, do be aware that any product can claim to be anti-aging if it has a SPF factor. 
A great treat for your mature skin will be an Exfoliating Peel mask. It'll pull away the drying surface skin and reveal the newer younger skin underneath. 
Also ALWAYS use neck and eye creams. Daily! Make sure it has an SPF of at least 15 and that you keep up to date with your skin care, as well as looking after your skin dietary-wise; AKA drink plenty of water. Correct vitamins etc...(see skin health note below) 
Olay Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream
Boots Time-Delay
Cliniques Range of Anti-aging

5)Congested Skin
 This can happen to any skin type, it's usually known as acne or more commonly; spots and black heads. Full blown Acne can be a horrid thing to try and battle but always seek dermatological advice from your local beauty therapist and your GP there are a lot of things out there you can get to help. Do not be ashamed to ask for help. Although you may be finding it hard or even being bullied there are so many awesome things available now to help you! I'd hate to think some poor girl/guy will suffer through it without seeking help that could potentially clear it up for good!  
For the other people who merely suffer with the occasional spot or black-head bare in mind you become more prone to spots if your hormones change (puberty, before your period, or during the menopause) so get on top of it with exfoliating at least once every 28 days or using a very gentle exfoliant or mask every week. Never exfoliate every day as this wont give your skin time enough to recover from its intense scrubbing. 

Miss Diaz is always exploited in the press with her "Bad Skin". 

But as you can see here most of the time she's on top of it and seems to look after her skin well!

Dermalogica Pure Night TreatmentDermalogica Clearing Skin Wash. Dermalogica Concealing Spot Treatment
Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control Cleanser

6)Sensitive Skin
 Redness in the skin, plain and simple. It's the easiest way of diagnosing this. I have it. And i hate it. If the temperature of the room suddenly changes my cheeks go a lovely scarlet shade and stay that way for hours after. The redness can also be set off by make-up application, make-up removal and even just TOUCHING the skin. The redness and constant "Highly-flushed" look is easily treated with products designed for sensitive skin... it usually caters for combination sensitive too so it shouldn't be too oily or drying. It should just be a nice medium that is nice and cooling to the skin, to keep it nice and calm. 
You must avoid any Exfoliants that have sugar/seeds/beads etc in, anything gritty will tear-apart your skin and make it redder than ever. Should you need to exfoliate due to congestion etc... try and find one with a mild acidity- this will essentially burn away any dirt and grease. A non-setting mask, which keeps the skin nice and cool is ideal. 
Dermaligica Cream Mask/Exfoliator.

Clinique Redness Solutions


7)Oily Skin
This is a common skin type. Not many people may actually have surface oil nor a shine to their skin but it is an obvious identifier. It is also common to have large visible pours, commedones (black heads), thicker skin and a yellowish appearance.  
A make-up remover designed for oily skin is ideal, usually cream based. You'll want a slightly harsher toner, perhaps with higher alcohol as this will dry out the skin, and a good moisturizer that's light. 
If you want a treat a clay or setting mask with grab any dirt through that oily layer and cleanse the skin of the oily texture at the same time. 

Poor Katy Clearly has visible pores, and congestion as a result of her oily skin type. But we wont let that stop us from freakin' loving the girl.

Dermalogica Oil Control lotion

Garnier Skin Oily Skin Cleanser


8)Dehydrated Skin
Now this isn't necessarily a skin "Type" as such- as it's usually a temporary problem that can be fixed with the correct intake of water and changing the products you're using on your skin. I'm featuring it as a type because so many people do have it- and it will have an obvious lack of moisture, the skin will feel tight, almost like its pulling, and it will be flaky, especially if your flaky areas are appearing in your oily t-zone. I am guilty of suffering from this so this leads nicely onto my final section; 
(Drink This)

Skin Health
All of the above can change rapidly dependent on the factors listed below, so it's a good idea to check none of these things have changed before you continue using the wrong products for your skin and making it worse;

Hormones
Products Used
Diet
Water/Lack of fluid
Exercise
Alcohol
Weather/climate/holiday
Allergies
UV/Sun Exposure
Smoking
Health issues (illness)
Stress
Medication
Sleep (lack of)
Genetics 
Drug use. 

I have Red Hair!!!

I finally decided, after months of drooling over fellow bloggers' red hair that i was going to ditch the blonde and go Red... I freakin love it. I kept a slice of blonde in my fringe thats a tad pink now but its amazing. One thing i've noticed; i get a lot more attention from guys. Usually i dont notice men looking, i'm married i dont give two poops about other blokes... But i have to admit it's been noticeable and quite a bit confidence boost.
Only downside ive noticed so far is it hasnt taken too well to the ends on my long side,.. I think its because it has been bleached ao much from my white blonde it's too damaged to absorbe anymore dye! I've been to sallys today and picked up a Indola red (think thats how you spell it) and a 6% peroxide. So im going to just try and keep on top of it fading for the next week or so until it's a solid colour. But even the faded part looks LUSH it's like a rasberry colour! Nom! Overall i love it!

Beauty Tips, My Night-time Face care routine; for younger-looking glowing morning-time skin!

Since starting Beauty Therapy i have learnt a lot about Skin, (obviously) and my own skin in particular, for instance; I'm 26 and i have not one line nor wrinkle yet...YET. It WILL happen. It comes to us all... but that compared to some of my younger friends, between the ages of 19-24, who have un-believeable crows feet, brown furrows and even cheek/chin sagging. I thought it was mere good-fortune and excellent genetics, but no! Alas it is my years of methodically and almost obsessively looking after my skin.
Not one make-up wipe (mostly), i don't smoke, i don't drink, my caffeine intake is minimal, i drink plenty of water, i wear SPF15 moisturizer daily, without fail, despite my Italian heritage my skin stays a pasty white, there's no olive tones here! And apparently because I've done this since i started wearing make-up when i was 13/14 my skin isn't far off the condition it was back then. Obviously naturally you'll loose collagen, time and environment and stress are all factors but this is your basic list of things you need to keep yourself and your skin young and healthy;

Night- after the makeup comes off!

1- Take your make up off without fail!!!

Next morning-No make up

No! a night out on the town and you coming home drunk ISN'T a good enough excuse to neglect your skin. You still need to take that make up off, all the damage you've already done tonight drinking and smoking/passive smoking is enough to keep your skin desperate for air for a few days so you must do all you can do to relieve if of the stress it'll be under, and taking off your slap is essential. Soap and water is only acceptable if you put on lathers of excellent non-greasy moisturizer after, as soap doesn't tend to help your skins natural PH levels and can dry your skin out, and the fact your pours are open and exposed from cleaning, if your prone to break-outs or spots a non oily or greasy moisturizer is the only option, there's no point in cleaning your face and replace it with more stuff it has to flush out...
Ideally you want to be using a good Cleanser, Toner and Moisturizer and get yourself into a good routine. The products don't necessarily need to all be the same brand- but test a few out, avoid high alcohol toners if your skin is dry, they're more for people with oily skin as the alcohol dries your skin out, (that is also why makeup wipes are bad, nay TERRIBLE as they're basically just scented cloths of alcohol) Obviously most beauty products are labelled for your skin type so Dry, Combination, Oily, Mature etc... Get used to doing this Cleanse-tone-moisturize routine EVERY NIGHT without fail. You'll end up with breakouts if you miss a couple, and after a good few you'll notice it in dry patches on your face, and eventually in the future as lines on your face!



2- Drink Water.
Simple, and what it says on the tin, drink your 2Ltrs of water a day to stop your skin drying out and becoming a flaky mess.

3- STOP TANNING
Yes, okay pasty white isn't a fashionable look, but when you're 40 and look 60 and us pale-faced sun-avoiders are 70 looking 40 you'll be the one who's miffed. If you must have your glow, or orange hue- fake it! But make sure you still use a good high SPF Everywhere on your body. On top of your fake tan. UV rays can get you even on a cloudy day, the sun always emits this radiation, so if its light out, there's rays about... and that means your skin's going to be working its butt-off to protect itself and you. So help it out a bit!

4- Treat yourself.
Your skin needs a good deep-cleans every month, so use a light slightly abrasive facial scrub, or a mask...or even go and get a facial treatment at a local salon. You'll love it, your skin will love it and if you cant really afford premium salons, go to your local collage's beauty school. they will require models and the prices are usually significantly reduced, and you'll be in good hands as no college tutor would let their therapists in training do a bad job.

5- All beauty products have use by dates
Every single thing you put on your face has a use-buy date, from 3 months, to 34 months, as indicated by this little symbol on every product you own. If its out of date it wont do anything it says its supposed to, no anti-aging, no SPF, no nothing... so use it up or if its out of date...get rid!

 





















So thats the basics, I'll be doing a post on identifying your skin type next week. So stay tuned for that. As usual don't forget to follow me on all my usual haunts;
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