The Answer to My Sore Skin Woes, with Origins.

For the last three months...and ten year, I have been battling with Acne.  Over the years it has come and gone but the last year has seen a resurgence, that at times I just do not have the energy to battle.  I had almost thrown the towel in, and accepted that I will always have 'ahem' crap skin.  

I have been on anti-biotics for nearly three months, they have cleared up the particularly spotty area that I had on my chin, but I now have spots on my cheeks - an area which I have never been prone to spots. I can't say if they have done the job or not, they have helped a little but the results are not what I expected from being medicated for three months.  The only thing left on the Doctors list is Roaccutane - a very powerful acne medication with notorious side-effects, I have been avoiding it since I were twelve.  Part of me wishes I had taken Roaccutane when I was younger, as now I am simply too scared.  I don't have time for more side-effects, my under-active thyroid gives me enough of them to keep me occupied.

However, I may have found something that works for me.  Last week I was offered a facial from the ever glamorous Jen who works over at the Origins counter, next to me in work.  She had to practice for her test the next day and I got to get pampered on my lunch break - certainly a perk of working in the beauty department.  

My lunch break has never felt the same since.  A bland salad cannot compete with laying under a blanket, and having wonderful potions soothingly put on your face.  Jen done a fabulous job, my skin felt - I want to say how skin should feel. My skin felt like skin again, and not that achy dry pallet I apply make-up to. 

Before the facial I was consulted about my skin, so that the appropriate products which could benefit me were used.  This would be very beneficial for anyone who is unsure of their skin type, or does not where to start with a healthy skin care regime.

My current skin care regime revolves around whatever products I fancy using on that given day, mainly products from Lush.  I do love Lush skincare and other great brands, and I'm not saying anything negative in regards to them, but nothing has worked with such pace and effectiveness for my skin as the Mega Mushroom Collection by Dr Andrew Weils for Origins. 

At the time of my facial I had big red blotches (spots) on both my cheeks - they were inflamed and sore. Jen (being the star that she is) took note of my current problem and tailored my facial around Dr Weils which helps irritated skin.

The product that has wowed me the most is the Mega-mushroom Skin Relief Face Mask (when I heard mega-mushroom I made a bit of a face also).  I always take skin care with a pinch of salt, as I have learnt not to expect miracles when it comes to my skin, but I noticed a change in my skin within the first use.  Those red blotches shrunk and the redness was reduced.  After further usage they are almost gone.

Clinically proven to visibly reduce redness.After one use:
√ 92% of those tested agreed it helps uncomfortable, dry skin feel better. 

It is expensive though, coming in at £34.00.  Usually I wouldn't spend that much on a face-mask because I can't really afford to spend that much on one product but I whole heartedly recommend anyone with acne or blemishes to try this.

In the next couple of weeks I will be reviewing the Dr Weil's collection more in depth, as it really deserves a post all of it's own.

Origins at the moment are offering complimentary facials and I highly recommend all you beauty bloggers out there take advantage of it, because you could learn a lot about your skin type and your skin will feel gorgeous afterwards. If you are from Glasgow come to John Lewis, the Origins girls are all really nice - and then you can come chat to me afterwards, maybe buy some sunglasses 'wink'. 

Why you should invest in luxury sunglasses & a wish list.

I have never been someone who lusted over sunglasses, I'm much more of a handbags and shoes kind of girl.  Many friends of mine would cut off a hand for a pair of Ray-bans, but I've always been more drawn towards a £2.00 pair from Primark, that can then be thrown to the bottom of my handbag. Or used to keep my hair off my face whilst I apply my factor 50.

£2.00 Primark Numbers

However recently I started a new job working for Luxottica the company that own Ray-Ban and Oakley.  I am situated in John lewis (Glasgow) as a concession, which has caused much confusion so far - trying to explain to customers, without sounding rude, that I don't work for John Lewis. If you're from Glasgow you should pop in, we don't have all stock out at the moment due to issues with the glass display cabinet we were sent - it has no shelves...yeah.  But, if you ask nicely I'll get the Prada and Tom Ford out the drawer. It is also cool that you laugh at my irony of having to sell sunglasses whilst it is snowing outside. My fingers are crossed for sunny weather soon, or at least no snow.

One of the first questions I asked when starting the job was 'What is the difference between cheap and expensive sunglasses?'.  I wasn't quite sure how I was going to convince someone to spend £80> on a pair of sunglasses when I myself was not convinced that there was any difference.

On close inspection though you can tell the difference.  The first difference is the weight of the glasses, expensive sunglasses are made from a hard plastic called acetate, which is very durable.  People always say 'I'd end up breaking them', expensive sunglasses are much harder to break than cheap ones. Sunglasses in some ways are similar to umbrella's - we all know how rubbish cheap umbrella's are and how a more expensive one will get you through the winter...it is still a grudge though.

I've also heard a lot of people saying 'I'd end up sitting on them'.  However, usually when we buy a luxury product whether it be jewellery or make-up we look after it more than we would a less expensive item.  You aren't likely to sit on your sunglasses if you put them back in their case - which you are likely to do.

The glass in the lenses is also offers a higher level of protection for your eyes. Although less expensive glasses do meet the criteria needed, they often just pass the required level of protection.  An expensive pair (more so Ray-ban and Oakley) will protect your eyes from rays, polarised glasses are especially good for driving as they reduce glare.   I have a fantastic app on the work I-pad that demonstrates this.  I also have a fabulous Ray-ban app that takes your photo - so if you fancy doing a sunglasses post give me a shout.

The lenses are also highly scratch resistant, this is the aspect that has surprised me the most. Most of the glasses are merchandised on self-selecting spinners and they do have a tendency to occasionally fall off, but no scratches.  This in itself has convinced me that making an investment in a luxury pair of sunglasses is the way forward. Now, someone needs to make a phone screen that is as scratch resistant.

In the last couple of weeks I have tried on most of the glasses, as have my work mates.  We all have a favourite pair.  My favourite pair happen to be one of the most expensive at £220..trust me to pick the  expensive ones. We are due to get a lot more stock in, and more brands such as Michael Kors and Tiffany's, I am rather excited.  But, I will leave you will some of my current favourites to 'ohh' over.

Gucci - GG3548/Havana Sunglasses - £220.

These are the pair that suit me the most, different types of sunglasses suit different face shapes. I suit big frames that cover my eyebrows.  I wish aviators and wayfarer suited me, but alas they don't. It doesn't stop me trying them on though.

Ralph - RA5031 - £108.

I love the turquoise on the inside of this pair, they do not suit me in the slightest but they are still one of my favourite pairs.  So far they have been very popular with customers and staff. 

Prada - PR080S - £215

A pair of classic glamour shades.  I would have never went for brown frames before I started this job. I find that black frames can be a little harsh against my pale complexion. The tortoiseshell frame actually suits most complexions  especially blondes. 

Prada - PR04PS - £320

We sadly do not have these beauties in store yet but we have the brown and orange version, which have attracted a lot of attention. I think every member of the beauty department has had a shot of them, very Dame Edna, but fabulous at the same time. 

Ray-ban - RB3025 55 Aviator - £125.00

The photo of these does not do them justice. They are part of Ray-bans celebration collection of the aviator, the frames and lenses come in a range of colours, but most notably green, pink and blue lenses. The green is actually a Ray-ban trademark but in person the green is a lot more noticeable.

All glasses can be found at: http://www.sunglasshut.com and http://www.sunglasshut.com/uk

or you can come visit me at John Lewis, Glasgow.

The Long Time Coming Liz Earle Post

This post has been sitting in my drafts folder incomplete for months due to a bout of bad skin and starting a new job, a new temporary job which has now ended.  However, whilst working in John Lewis I was in close proximity to the Liz Earle counter and I was amazed by just how popular the brand is.  I knew us Brits loved Liz Earle but I had no idea just how many cleanse and polishes flew off the shelf on a daily basis. The Liz Earle concession actually made it to the one million mark over the Christmas stretch - which was celebrated in the beauty department with a beautiful pale blue cake and fizzy wine (it certainly made the last couple of hours go a lot quicker).  

Like the shoppers of John Lewis I have been a fan of Liz Earle skincare for a while, but I had never tried any of the make up.  The ever so lovely pr team at Liz Earle HQ sent me some make up to try out (a while ago now) and I feel terrible about the length of time it has taken to get this post finished.  But it does mean I have had a while to truly test the products out.

Above you can see pictured the new Signature Foundation in porcelain.  The texture of the foundation is perfect for my acne prone skin as it is thick and allows for layering without causing any streaking. The colour is also a great match for my pale as snow skin.  As you can see from the shade card pictured at the top of this post Liz Earle have a fantastic range of colours. The finished look is quite a natural one which I am not that familiar with as I tend to sport the unrefined doll look but it is a lovely sophisticated look - great for looking like a proper grown up. 

I took multiple photo's of the concealer and found it hard to photograph but as you can see from the photo that turned out best it does as the name suggests and reflects the light.  Another perfect match for my skin tone and comes in a twist tube with brush application - which I personally love in a concealer.  I have been using this to camouflage my unsightly spotty skin and dark bags under my eyes from the stress of the build up of Christmas.  It is now an essential part of my make-up routine.  

I feel like I cannot give the loose powder a just review due to not having a decent powder brush or puff (both of these things are on my list of things to purchase but lack of a job again makes this difficult).  However having used the product with a mix of cheap make-up brushes and cotton wool puffs I do really like it.  I usually use a compact powder rather than the loose powder as I have found in the past that loose powder can be drying to my skin, but I did not have that issue with this one and I actually found it kept my make-up looking tip top for a lot longer than usual. 

Here is the obligatory embarrassing photo, this is the part I struggle with when it comes to make-up reviews as I am very conscious about my skin but as you can see Liz Earle done a good job of helping me cover it up. THANK YOU. I have put the camera battery on charge so expect lots of nice post's to nosey at in the new year.  I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and stay safe at New Year but have a good time...obviously.

Victoria

Note: Only the foundation, concealer and powder are Liz Earle.

Pay Day Haul

Finally it is pay day, I have been working at John Lewis for the last four weeks - hence the lack of blogging and lots of early nights.  I am really enjoying the job so far but the last couple of weeks have been a struggle for money, so it was finally great to be paid be able to buy some much needed things. Well, some of them were needed and others I just wanted.

1. Superdrug Sugar & Spice Self-heating Mask - £1.00.

I usually buy the self-heating Montagne Jeunesse mask - you know the one that makes you look like you have been tragically burned - so I thought I would give the Superdrug one a try. It feels the same on the face, warm and as if all the icky stuff is being sucked out, but it smells a lot nicer. I would re-buy this.

2. Natural Collection Concealer in Green - £2.00

I seen this on the blogsphere a couple of weeks back and I have been looking for it ever since.  I use the Loreal Studio Primer in Green because green combats redness, and with me having rather bad acne the green really helps tone things down.  However the Loreal primer is expensive and I don't like using it every day and this is £2.00. I haven't tried it yet but I will be back to review it when I do.

3. Extra Chewing Gum - reduced to £0.10 in Superdrug.

Since I started work I have become very concious of my breath especially after lunch so these will do nicely in my handbag to help me freshen up before dealing with the public again.  When I was at Uni I never had this problem because I lived close to the Uni so I could just brush my teeth.

4. Wilko Hand Sanitiser in Fruity Berry - £0.90.

My beloved bath and body hand sanitiser is coming to an end: Anti-Ba(T)cterial and this is the nearest colour I could find to replace The Vampires Blood with.  It smells nice and fruity but nowhere as since as the plum scent of the bath and body one.

5. Primark Tights - £2.50-3.50.

An exciting purchase in the form of tights.  I cleared out my tights this morning and binned all the ones that have seen better days.  I never wear trousers and rarely wear leggings so tights are an every day essential for me, and with winter coming in it is time to stock up on the heavy duty tights.  John Lewis have tights that are fleecy on the inside - I really want a pair.

6. Wilkinson Sword Intuition Razor - Wilkinsons - £3.50.

The other week I picked up the blades for this razor thinking they would fit the one that I already have - they didn't.  For the last two weeks I have been using the blades without a handle, surprisingly not too bad.  I really like that you do not need shaving gel with this razor as the blades are surrounded by a thick moisturising soap, and they leave you smelling great.  I still have two blades from my mistake and one came with the handle, so I am all stocked up until after Christmas. The intuition blades were also cheaper than the other Wilkinson Sword blades.

7. Glade Candle in Relaxing Zen - Wilkinsons - £1.80.

I am a big candle lover and most of my candles have reached the point where they are hard to light and the last thing I want to do when I come in from work is faff around trying to light a candle.  The Glade candles smell great and last ages. The last Glade candle I had lasted me around a year, granted I didn't use it every day but I still used it fairly regularly.  This one has a nice musty smell and it is meant to be relaxing - so we shall see.

8. Umberto Giannini - 2 for £.7.50 Boots.

I will be reviewing both these products in a separate post once I  have gave them a good try. 1. Root Boost Volume Spray for Big Hair. 2. Morning After Dry Shampoo.  Winter and my hair are not friends, the humidity and wetness just make it go curly but not like a pretty curly, more like a Bettlejuice style, so this is my attempt at having nice hair this winter. My Batise XXL volume dry shampoo has ran out and I was going to re buy it but these were around the same price, here's hoping they work as well.

9. Socks  - Primark Kids Section - £1.50-2.50.

Being on my feet all day at work is leaving them feeling super sore and a lovely pair of socks to put on in bed can make all the difference. I am only a size 3 in shoe so I tend to sock shop at the kids section - the kids section actually had a better selection of cosy socks. The adult section didn't have anything that took my fancy.  The Feet Heater socks are similar to the welly socks I bought at Download Festival and are super comfy.

10. Green Skull Bag - Krush - £15.00.

I saw this whilst walking past Krush, a store I would not usually venture into but I was drawn to the bag akin to a magpie and shiny objects.  Green is the colour that most people associate me with and I do not actually own a green bag, because I have never found a reasonably priced one that I loved - until now.  I fought with myself for a while whether to buy it or not, but I knew if I didn't I would be annoyed later down the line. The bag is too perfect for me not to buy it. It is green, tacky and has skulls on it - all it needs is a lil bit of fur somewhere and it would have been completely perfect.  For £15.00 I felt it was a bit of a bargain really, considering the Ted Baker bag I have been eyeing is £60 and the purse £99.

I have lots of other things coming up in the form of reviews and can't wait to get some of them up, such as the Liz Earle make up review and the MAC Marilyn Monroe Lipstick.  So much to blog and so little time. As always I am open to guest reviews so if anyone is interested comment or e-mail me.

Victoria.
xx