DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE - BACK TO BASICS

Let's start this whole shabang with a little 'disclaimer'. I'm no skincare expert and what works for me may not work for you. So now that's done with, let's get on with it.

I tend to have quite normal skin with a slightly oily T-Zone, however lately my T-zone has been on over-drive, I've found myself getting a lot more blemish prone than usual. I'm a little drier in some places and I'm generally dehydrated (heck, who isn't?).

I prefer to take the main bulk of my make up off with some Bioderma - I don't need to talk about this, you guys know the hype and for me, it lives up to it. If I'm wearing a more stubborn mascara I'll reach for the Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, however Bioderma generally does it well enough. I love using balm cleansers and giving my skin a good massage but they tend to be quite on the pricey side but I adore Lush Ultrabland. I'll be honest, it smells like ass (no, not literally.) but boy does it do a good job. I really work this into my skin for a good 3/4 minutes and then leave it for a minute to sink in, then buff away with a flannel, leaving silky smooth, clean skin.

As ridiculous as this sounds, I listen to my skin and give what it wants - if it's feeling clogged and meh I'll give my pores a good clean with the Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner, post cleanse. You should know by now just how much I love this, it's already on my repurchase list. I love this stuff for really making my skin feel fresher, cleaner and like it can breathe. It contains salicylic acid which also makes it perfect for when I'm getting a little more blemishy. As this can be a little more drying on my already dry bits, I follow with a few sprits of Lush's Eau Roma Water. A toner water that is literally just Lavender and Rose water and is so, so refreshing and soothing. I keep this in my fridge for an extra boost! If I'm not using the Origins Toner, this one still gets a good use.

After picking up the Origins GinZing moisturiser, I haven't been able to put it down! I've written a review here so go check it out, I'll save you the rambling here. In the evening I've been using the DHC Pore Milk*. It claims to clarify your pores and control excess sebum - I haven't noticed any of that, but this is a bloody good moisturiser. It's incredibly light weight yet super hydrating and smooths over any dryness. I find heavier moisturisers can make my skin feel too heavy and clogged, so I stick to a good dose of this over a serum and oil, but more on them next time.


Next up is my added extras skincare essentials including more cleansers, toners, serums and oils!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

LUSH SHEFFIELD BLOGGER EVENT

On Friday the 28th me and a group of bloggers attended the Lush Sheffield event and boyyy was it a lovely night! Besides the fact I'd been on my feet all day in heels and were sporting a massive blister, there was a lot of laughter and frankly a ridiculous moment from me, but more on that later...

The evening was split into three station - Rochelle was introducing us to the Emotional Brilliance range, giving us make overs and exciting us all with the dry ice. After a loottt of consideration and natter, I let her try the lipstick in Perspective on me, a nude with just the right amount of pink to liven things up. It was absolutely gorgeous and gained me a fair few compliments whilst lasting me the entire night, I even had to get the ol' Bioderma onto my lips to remove it!

The second station was massages which very sadly I missed out on, it was aaalways busy (which definitely made me want it more!) so I moved onto the next station where we watched another Lush employee make the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser. I literally could not believe how simple and quick it was to make! 10 minutes later, we were walking away with a fresh pot stored safely in our pockets. Of course, I had to be an absolute idiot and say "so...it's all handmade then?!". All I'm gonna say is it was a very long day hahaha!


It was great to meet up with some bloggers and friends and I cannot waaait for them to hold another event (pretty please?!)
What are your favourite Lush products?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE

When the evening begun and my eyes began to droop, the last thing I ever wanted to do was give myself a facial to remove the days wear, so more often than not I'd reach for the baby wipes and scrub my skin red and be done with it. But over the last few months my skincare collection has grown and improved, baby wipes out the window and the quest for healthy looking skin is in full force.

Let me just start by saying I have dehydrated, combination skin which is fairly sensitive and currently rather blemish prone. These products might not work for you, but I think they're all pretty fantastic.

If I'm wearing something heavy duty on the eyes, I don't hesitate to reach for my Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover which melts away any grime effortlessly and efficiently. On the more natural days my Bioderma works just fine, which I then use to remove the main bulk off of my face.
Next in the spotlight comes the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk - a new addition to the stash but I can see it lurking there for a long, long time. Removing any last traces of makeup and dirt it leaves my skin feeling clean, fresh and silky soft whilst being incredibly gentle. If my skin is a little more blemish-y and dry I'll go for my Lush Ultrabland balm cleanser, massage it into my skin and leave it for a few minutes before buffing it off with a flannel. I'll use a quick swipe of my Origins United States toner to balance my skin if it's having a good day, if it's a bit more oily I'll go for the Zero Oil version. I think it's so important to listen to your skin and change up products if you need too. Toners are a step that is yet to be perfected, Hirons, I'm coming for you!

I love using an oil to add a moisture boost however for me, less is definitely more and I've been using the Superdrug Vitamin E Oil for a while. I find it so easy to use too much which can leave my skin feeling incredibly heavy and like I need to cleanse again, which is the last thing you want. I'll warm a couple of drops between my palms and kind of press it onto my skin - I'm not sure why, but I saw it somewhere and I cannot stop doing it like this! Finally I'll warm some of my Simple Rich Moisturiser up in my palms and massage it into my face and neck and I'm ready for bed feeling clean, refreshed and totally relaxed...


What's your skincare routine like? Get the baby wipes thrown out, you don't need them ;). Send me links to your posts/videos!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

The Recovery Facial - Hydration, Please!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAAYYY

Yep, that's right. Hit the big 1, 9 today.. Still the youngest of most of my friends, but don't worry guys, I'll keep up the youth ;). I went out last night, and of course I drank that little bit too much and now my skin is paying for it, big time. Looking dehydrated, dull and lacklustre, these products will be giving me that boost I need ever so desperately.

First up is my beloved Lush Ultrabland. Of course I slept in my make up, naughty me, but this bad boy has removed any traces of make up whilst giving my skin that little drink, and leaving a soft, supple base. The only negative is the smell, gip! 

I needed to get FEELING awake, as well as looking awake, so armed with a cup of coffee, I found myself sweeping a cotton ball of Origins United States toner across my skin. This non-drying tonic has the perfect minty, fresh scent for waking up my senses and leaving me clean and refreshed. 

As I'm going over to Mike's house later, I don't want to be putting too many heavy oils on my skin as I simply don't have the time, but my Simple Rich Moisturiser does a great job at adding the right amount of hydrating and banishing any dry/dehydrated patches. 

I won't be going over the Mike's empty handed, I'll be bringing out the big guns - my Origins Over Night hydration mask. This crazy rich formula will have my skin slurping and will be the icing on the cake.

I don't want to overload my skin today, hence the minimalist routine. Plush, I have much better things to do...

Are any of these products taking your fancy? Or are they your holy grail hydrating angels? Let me know in the comments below!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

my ultimate relaxation night routine

So these past few days have certainly been emotional for me - I've been all over the place and I really just needed to relax! The best way I can take my mind off of things is with a good facial.

I used Angels on Bare Skin from Lush whilst I was in the shower. I put it on like a mask whilst I let my conditioner soak in and left it on for a while to soak up all the goodness! The lavender was a God send and definitely was the best start to getting me relaxed. Find my review here.

After my shower, I used a bit of Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner on a cotton wool pad and sweeped it over my face and neck. This helped clear my pores leaving me feeling fresh and clean with the mint scent clearing my sinuses, being a breath of fresh air. Find my review here..

My favourite part of this routine - a mask! Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is so nice to wear. With it being overnight, it let me lay down with a book and my favourite candle without worrying about having to take it off. I applied it a bit before going to bed so I didn't end up with it all over my pillow. This is great because you feel it's effects the next morning, waking up feeling soft and much, much happier and rested. I also have a review of this product here.


This much needed pamper left me feeling positive, fresh and ready for the day ahead!
Do you have a relaxation routine? Let me know what you think below!

lush ultrabland cleanser

Sorry it's been a while guys, I've been getting into the Christmas spirit!

It didn't stop me popping into my local Lush store and trying out Ultrabland, a product I've heard so much about, I know plenty of people who swear by it!
As I wasn't completely sure if it would be the same on my skin, I got myself a sample to try out. This product is officially top of my Christmas list. I LOVE it.

"A rich, soft, oily, cleansing cream that cares gently for all skin types. Softens the skin whilst thoroughly cleaning it - this product is super effective at its job"

I was incredibly surprised at the feel of it, you could definitely feel the beeswax as soon as you touching it. It spreads onto your face gorgeously, it feels thick, waxy, and like it's going to do an amazing job. There's no scent to it which I'm happy about, I expected it to smell very floral seeing as one of it's main ingredients is Rose Water!
I tend to use this when I'm in the shower. I'll firstly exfoliate, which can often leave my skin feeling a little stripped and dry. I'll then apply a thin layer of this and leave it on for a couple of minutes. To remove it, I use a muslin cloth and wipe it off in outward motions. You cannot even imagine how soft my skin feels afterwards! It almost feels velvety, it's just amazing.
It's very good at soothing my red cheeks. I have redness on both cheeks, but this soothes it and clears it.

I couldn't recommend this more.

Sorry it's only short, Christmas presents need to be wrapped! Take care everyone, the weather is turning!


ALSO, DON'T FORGET TO KEEP AN EYE OPEN FOR MY GIVEAWAY! 
I'll be hosting it when I hit 50 followers so look out! 

lush - angels on bare skin cleanser

Hey guys! Today after going to the bank, I had half hour before work so I decided to pop into Lush. 3 members of staff asked me if I was okay, so I said yes, but really I had no idea what I was looking for, apart from a cleanser. This lovely lady approached me and said I looked lost, so I finally told her what I was looking for and she showed me my options. I told her I had slightly oily skin, mainly my nose, I wanted a clearer complexion and a bit of moisture. She showed me 'Angels on Bare Skin' and 'Buche de Noel Solid Cleanser'. She offered to try them both on my hands to give me an idea and make my choice easier.

She firstly tried Buche de Noel, this has dried cranberries in it and claims to clean and balance the skin, exfoliate absorb grease, and give back lost moisture through cocoa butter. When she tried this, it felt very exfoliating, it was a slightly milky paste but she left it on my hand whilst she did Angels on Bare Skin. This one is packed with lavender flowers and has a very strong lavender scent (which I love). After adding a bit of warm water and rubbing the paste, it became a milky, thinner paste which she rubbed on my hand.  This too was quite exfoliating due to pieces of ground almond, but the thing that got me with this cleanser is the moisture. As soon as she washed it off, my hand felt much more nourished, the colour was much more even and I knew I had to get this.

I was slightly scared about buying a full tub for £6.25/100g because I wasn't sure whether I'd achieve the same result on my face, I didn't want to buy it and break out! I asked for a sample which she was more than happy to give me and as soon as I got home, I had a shower and had to give this a go. I wasn't sure how much I needed, so I took a pinch, mixed it with water and rubbed it on my face. It didn't exactly feel like it would do anything, I wasn't sure I had enough, so I used a little more but still felt a bit unsatisfied, but I left it on my face for a minute or so and then washed it off with a muslin cloth. It felt so creamy when washing it off, my face felt incredibly soft and moisturised, I was amazed. I then patted my face until it was almost dry. As I was doing stuff, it was a while before I applied some moisturiser, usually my face would dry up soon after, but it still felt very moisturised.


I'm going to try it a couple more times, maybe pop in again to see if I can find more products to try (cheeky!). It kind of looks like mashed up wheetabix and milk, not nice, but it's a lot harder, like a lumpy clay/paste. 

Does anyone else have some Lush skin care favourites?!

Take care,