Two The Ordinary Products for Acne Prone Skin

It's no news that I've struggled with acne prone skin for about 2 decades now. At times it will behave itself only to take a turn for the worse soon after. Last year I broke out really bad around my jaw area, which indicated hormonal issues (spoiler alert: I had a massive cyst on my ovary that's now long gone). 

This year, around March I started breaking out quite bad once more and I worried it would be hormones again, but I persisted and tried not to stress and get better sleep as well as being more consistent with my skincare (also adding a couple of products to my routine) and completely stopped consuming dairy and things seem to have improved since. 

Since May I started using The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum and I noticed how when applied to new and forming spots would help decrease the inflammation in about a day, and it would make a spot go away almost completely in only a matter of days. So I've been using this serum every morning and night all over my face and it's a must have for me now. 

As my skin was so inflamed and irritated I wanted to wait a bit before trying out The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% peeling solution, but I finally did about 4 or 5 weeks ago and have been using this mask once a week since then. After using my skin feels so much smoother and softer, I think spot marks are fading very well and since the first time I used it I noticed that new spots weren't appearing as frequently, which is amazing. I will keep using the mask as there's a lot of texture issues left by all the spots I was getting and hopefully it will improve that as well. 

The Ordinary products are so affordable but I took advantage of a sale at House of Fraser and a £10 voucher that I had so I actually only paid 35p for both items haha. 

Have you tried any The Ordinary products? 

xo

Why Your Skin Needs Probiotics

The Body Shop Almond Milk & Oats Soothing Mask £17 

Natures Alchemist Nourishing Body Whip £8 

Elizabeth Arden Superstart Cleanser £22 // Gallinée La Culture Foaming Facial Cleanser £13.90

Elemis Superfood Night Cream £46

Ruffles & Flowers

AW 18 Trends: Capes & Scarves

Asos Cape // Starburst Brooch // Spider Brooch // H&M Scarf // Uniqlo Hooded Coat

I know we are still in the middle of summer but looking through the August and September issues of magazines showing all the trends for the new season does get me a bit inspired. 

One of my favourite trends is the cape and giant scarf one - I love how cosy and warm they look and would love to try a cape this winter - or wrap one of my scarves around my shoulders and keep it in place with a sparkly brooch!

Will you be trying this trend?

xo

Stripes & Black

H&M Striped Top // Uniqlo Jeans 

(Similar: Striped Top)

One of the things I got for my birthday is a tripod, so I can now take outfit pictures and self portraits without compromising the integrity and safety of my camera by balancing it on uneven surfaces and actually getting more of me on the frame ha.

xo

Why SLS, Silicone and Paraben-Free Hair Products Are No Good

We all have heard about how SLS, Silicones and Parabens are "bad" for us, which made me want to try products without those ingredients out of curiosity, but the truth is they each have a purpose in beauty products. Here is why I won't be avoiding SLS/SLES, Silicones and Parabens in my hair care products: 

1. SLS/SLES: Also known as Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulphate, is a surfactant that helps to break down oils and dirt, therefore helping cleaning a surface or in this case, the scalp. There are milder alternatives to SLS and SLES, of course but they somehow seem to dry out my scalp further. And if you are a fan of foaming shampoos then you'll probably prefer one that contains SLS (or its milder version SLES). 

2. Silicones: They're substances that contribute to the fluidity of a formula, as well as leaving a smooth and/or shiny finish. Without silicones I've found that my hair doesn't feel as soft and it was very hard to get a brush through it. 

3. Parabens: A type of preservative used in very commonly in cosmetic products. There's a lot of controversy around parabens, however I don't have a problem using them in products that are going to be in contact with my skin for only a couple of minutes, then rinsed off. Plus hair products such as shampoo and conditioner, which stay in a warm and humid environment, need some sort of preservative, otherwise they go off faster.

Of course the use of SLS, Silicones and Parabens is down to personal choice, and I generally try to avoid them on skincare products as they are milder, less likely to clog pores and won't stay on my skin for the rest of the day.

I recently acquired the Organic Shop Argan & Amla Shampoo & Conditioner, only to realise that I had used this brand before, and while it seemed to work at first, after a short time the products started to go off. Deciding to give them the benefit of the doubt, I used the Argan & Amla range twice and my scalp was even drier (I've been trying to find out how to make it less dry) and my hair was almost straw like, so it's safe to say I won't be trying any more of their products as sadly they don't work for me. 

What's your opinion on these cosmetic ingredients? 

xo

New in: July 2018

Not a lot of stuff again because I don't even have room to put stuff anyway haha! Trying to minimise as much as possible all the impulse shopping but there are times where I can't resist. Such was the case of those Pacifica Solid Perfumes, as they were just 90p each in Tesco. I got Fig, Vanilla and Rose. 

The Murad AHA BHA Cleanser came free in a magazine. Then in the H&M sale I got a new broderie anglaise top (only £12)  to wear on my birthday, which is in a couple of days. I only get used to my age and then it's my birthday again ha. Does that happen to you?

And last but not least, is the small Bella Freud makeup bag that came free with a magazine too. 

Did you get anything nice this month?

xo

Top 3 Summer Hobbies for Introverts

These are the things that I enjoy doing now it is nice and sunny and would love to feel extra motivated to be more consistent at them: 

Zoé in London