Showing posts with label beauty blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty blog. Show all posts
Okay guys and girls, some beauty blogger skincare tips coming your way. Over the last few months, I've been really focused on skincare - basically trying to get the clear, calm adult skin that I've always dreamt of.
How do we get great skin? Well, some people are born with good skin genes, others have to work harder at it and those who eat badly and drink heavily need to try EVEN harder. (I'm not going to admit which of these groups I fit into but anyone watching my Instagram - I know you KNOW!)
So what's the plan here? What does "better skin" look like?
Ideally I wanted to find a way to minimise breakouts, even out any patchiness in my oily yet 'these bits can be dry' combination skin, cut down on heavy foundation and focus on getting that smooth, glowing base that's neither dewy nor shiny but LUMINOUS.
At the beginning of the year, I wouldn't have left the house without at least a light coat of concealer. Obviously, it'd be nice to not give a shit about this sort of thing (THANKS SOCIETY) but until then, getting better skin is the plan!
How did I do it?
So at the beginning of the year I decided to commit to a real skincare routine. A proper routine where you use the same products, at the same time, every day for at least a month without being tempted by newer, shiiinier products. It's practically a relationship, given the level of commitment involved.
Until this point, I'd been constantly dabbling with products, the beauty blogger in me desperate for another hit of 'something new' and although we ALL know we should be patient with products, I just couldn't commit to one for 4 days let alone 4 weeks.
New Year's resolution sorted, I went ahead and did it. And now? I'm pretty pleased! So much so that my next YouTube video is about my new skincare routine, and I'm not going to be wearing ANY foundation. Seeing is believing right?
Until then, here are the basics of what I changed in my skincare routine. I hope you find it useful because it worked for me!
First up - it's time to commit. Select your desired arsenal and stick to it for at least a month (unless it's causing you irritation or sensitivity). Due to the cycle of skin renewal, you won't be seeing long-term benefits for a few weeks. Plus, if you're chopping & changing, you won't know which product has done what. HOW will you know what to buy again?!
Secondly, I decided to abandon my previous go-to corporate brands (the Estee's, L'Oreals & Lancomes of the world) and move towards brands with a more natural & organic focus. Hello Antipodes, Sukin, Jurlique, Moo Goo, Liz Earle to some extent, Caudalie and other such brands! I did this mainly because many of the big commercial formulas I used were full of big commercial filler ingredients.
Getting knowledgeable about product ingredients is key - I abandoned SLS, parabens and most products packed out with silicone & other such nasties. Brands like La Roche Posay aren't natural or organic but they're free of 'bad' ingredients like this - so if you still want to buy a big commercial brand (they do tend to be cheaper & easier to get hold of), at least do it in a clean way.
Chuck in a couple of tips and techniques around product application, facial massage and HELLO. My skin has improved dramatically and my dream skin is almost within reach. I say almost, because honestly, will we ever be happy with what we've got?!
I'll be doing a full video with my skincare routine & product recommendations but until then - here are some tips I picked up at the Jurlique launch last week.
How do you apply your skincare?
Just dot in on your face and rub in? Applying too much pressure and rubbing too hard can actually damage the skin, which is why eye creams always to tell you to pat. One of the techniques promoted by Jurlique is what I call "the warm and press".
Warming product in your hands can activate ingredients and help product to spread better, thus using less product in the long run.
Press products into skin, don't rub. Pressing gets the formula to the deeper layer of dermis (i.e. the non dead stuff on the surface)
When applying, don't rub the eye area.
Delicate skin like this needs to be treated gently. Just use your ring finger to pat cream into the skin.
There's also no need to go all around the eye and overload the area - applying product just around the orbital bone
The fridge is your friend
The soothing qualities of calming products and toners are boosted when chilled in the fridge. Put your face mist in the fridge before you reach for it on a hot day - it works a treat and really invigorates skin during summer. It's particularly great for eye creams, and gives an instant de-puffing effect.
You learn something new every day
Finally - one thing I haven't tried yet but has been recommended by the experts at Jurlique. Use arnica on dark circles. I'm very familiar with arnica, having used it on bruises and the theory is that it works in the same way to shrink visible blood vessels.... will keep you posted! Dream skin is within reach!
What do YOU think? Have you got a fixed skincare routine? Any skincare tips you swear by? Tweet me your thoughts @FaceValueBlog or send me a comment on Facebook!
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How To Get Better Skin - My New Skincare Routine
You don't have to know me to know that I’m not a fan of the gym. At all. But, if there’s anything I dislike more than exercise it’s dieting. For those of you subjected to my Instagram Stories, you now I practically LIVE in McDonalds. I never thought I'd be writing about diets on my personal blog, seriously.
But what if I told you there was a healthy eating plan you could try that STILL let you eat chocolate and drink wine for five days of the week? A bit more interested now?
Well, that’s exactly what I thought when I heard about the 5:2 diet. It was so intriguing that, out of curiosity, I decided to trial the plan for 30 days as part of my weekly beauty feature for Yahoo!Style.. From someone who feels the constant need to eat, the results were quite surprising. (SPOILER ALERT - I'M STILL DOING IT!)
Don't get me wrong, you will NEVER see me become a healthy living blogger but surprisingly this works for me, so I decided to do a video to share my experience
Check out the original post I wrote over on Yahoo Style for the full details but here's my personal video with what I learnt from the diet, easy ways to stick to the 5:2 diet and tips you should try.
On days where I was too lazy to meal plan, I tried the fast packs from LighterLife Fast. on this programme, you can have up to 800 calories on your fast day, eating 4 of their fast packs. They range from porridge, to soups, to bars and shepherd's pie - so not your average.
I also tried out a meal plan from the Exante Diet - which also had packs that you could mix & bake in the oven - like mini scones and chocolate puddings. Still sounding like a diet to you? Didn't think so - take a look at the video!
On days where I was too lazy to meal plan, I tried the fast packs from LighterLife Fast. on this programme, you can have up to 800 calories on your fast day, eating 4 of their fast packs. They range from porridge, to soups, to bars and shepherd's pie - so not your average.
I also tried out a meal plan from the Exante Diet - which also had packs that you could mix & bake in the oven - like mini scones and chocolate puddings. Still sounding like a diet to you? Didn't think so - take a look at the video!
When LighterLife Fast heard that I was doing this video, they offered to run a giveaway - you can win your own kick starter set to have a go at the 5:2 - all you have to do is follow and RT on Twitter! An EASY COMPETITION for you all!
Want to try the 5:2 diet? You can #win a @LighterLifeFast Kick Off Kit. Just #Follow us & #RT. See how I fared: https://t.co/zKdTiP7pEi 🎉 pic.twitter.com/oco8ere63C
— Zoe W (@zoe_dubs) April 13, 2017
What do YOU think? Are you, like me, not about running or diets? Could this be interesting for you?
Tweet me your thoughts @FaceValueBlog or send me a comment on Facebook!
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What I Learnt From The 5:2 Diet & How To Do It The Easy Way!
I don't know about you but I am fascinated by asian cosmetics and asian skincare. Yeah yeah yeah, I'm obviously MASSIVELY biased since I'm Chinese, but skincare in the Far East is completely next level because beauty trends over there favour clear glowy skin over makeup.
Enter Astalift - an anti-aging skincare brand by Fujifilm (yes, the camera people!) which has used Fujufilm's innovative technologies to create a very scientific, very distinctive skincare brand.
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Asian Skincare In The UK! Picture Perfect With Astalift by FUJIFILM
So I started this beauty blog with the intention of shouting about all the great beauty products I've tried, and today's mascara is definitely worth shouting (and reading) about.
I reviewed the Benefit They're Real mascara against Chanel Le Volume here and it came out a clear winner for boosting volume and length. But in-your-face drama isn't necessary for everyone.
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Free Benefit RollerLash: Will I Buy The Full-Size Mascara?
As a seasoned makeup junkie I absolutely love trying new liquid foundations. The problem is that they take soooo blimmin long to use up, it's a rare moment when a new foundation enters the beauty race.
For a while I've been living off foundation samples but sometimes a newcomer just HAS to be brought in. And today that bottle is the new Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude foundation.
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Tried & Tested! Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation
UNBELIEVABLE SCENES!! I am in the finals to report live from London Fashion Week on behalf of Yahoo Lifestyle UK!
London Fashion Week - LONDON FASHION WEEEEEK! How unreal would it be to have my big face on-camera, presenting all the behind-the-scenes beauty action?!
A short (and desperate) plea for you today dear readers. Please make my dream come true and give me a click on the Yahoo Lifestyle Voting page.
No forms to fill, no registration, it literally takes 30 seconds!
Laptops: Go to YahooLifestyle, click Zoe Dubs, Click VOTE
Mobiles: Scroll down to the bottom of the YahooLifestyle voting page, click Zoe Dubs, VOTE!
I really appreciate every single vote - this competition is a once-in-a-lifetime ALL-THE-CLICHES opportunity for me and I can't even begin to imagine how happy I would be to win. Oh man, even the thought of it seems RIDICULOUS.
(Seriously - I whacked my knee on the edge of my bed jumping around when I found out I was shortlisted - who knows what winning would do to me!)
Voting closes 29 August! There's a 1 in 8 chance for me to win and your vote could be all the difference!
Please vote for Zoe Dubs here at https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/london-fashion-week/beauty-voting/
Spread the word and RT on Twitter/SHARE on Facebook?
Big love to you all!!
By Zoe Dubs
xXXXx
London Fashion Week - LONDON FASHION WEEEEEK! How unreal would it be to have my big face on-camera, presenting all the behind-the-scenes beauty action?!
A short (and desperate) plea for you today dear readers. Please make my dream come true and give me a click on the Yahoo Lifestyle Voting page.
No forms to fill, no registration, it literally takes 30 seconds!
Laptops: Go to YahooLifestyle, click Zoe Dubs, Click VOTE
Mobiles: Scroll down to the bottom of the YahooLifestyle voting page, click Zoe Dubs, VOTE!
I really appreciate every single vote - this competition is a once-in-a-lifetime ALL-THE-CLICHES opportunity for me and I can't even begin to imagine how happy I would be to win. Oh man, even the thought of it seems RIDICULOUS.
(Seriously - I whacked my knee on the edge of my bed jumping around when I found out I was shortlisted - who knows what winning would do to me!)
Voting closes 29 August! There's a 1 in 8 chance for me to win and your vote could be all the difference!
Please vote for Zoe Dubs here at https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/london-fashion-week/beauty-voting/
Spread the word and RT on Twitter/SHARE on Facebook?
PLEASE please vote for Zoe Dubs to report from London Fashion Week! I'm in the final 8 #bbloggers! WHAAT. https://t.co/Ez8kDxcVjP #RT #LFW
— Face Value Beauty (@FaceValueBlog) August 18, 2014
Big love to you all!!
By Zoe Dubs
xXXXx
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Help Please! Make My LFW Dream Come True With Just One Click.
So I have lots of conversations with people about my favourite skincare products and I'm sharing it with you today via my latest video!
My skin has thankfully cleared up a LOT but the goal is to get smooth, shine-free and even skin, with no blemishes or scars. Aka dream skin, but is it possible? As a resident beauty junkie, I've tried a whole host of products - some good, some not so good - but there are definitely some which have had a real impact on my dream skin goals.
Today, I'm going to talk about the products which I've bought again and again. (and in some cases, more than that!)
So check out my video below and let me know what you think?
My skin has thankfully cleared up a LOT but the goal is to get smooth, shine-free and even skin, with no blemishes or scars. Aka dream skin, but is it possible? As a resident beauty junkie, I've tried a whole host of products - some good, some not so good - but there are definitely some which have had a real impact on my dream skin goals.
Today, I'm going to talk about the products which I've bought again and again. (and in some cases, more than that!)
So check out my video below and let me know what you think?
My Top Products:
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VIDEO: My Skincare Routine for Combination/Oily Skin!
As a big makeup fan, messing around with new makeup is always fun and when Glo Minerals asked me to create a "Pretty In Pink" look using their mineral-based makeup range, I was like ch-YEAH.
Glo Minerals then sent me three great products to use and I spent yesterday morning messing around with them. It's a bit like that round on Masterchef or Ready Steady Cook where the chefs are given some ingredients and expected to make a masterpiece. But was my look going to be Pretty Pinky or Pretty Stinky?
What have we got and how did I use them??
Glo Minerals then sent me three great products to use and I spent yesterday morning messing around with them. It's a bit like that round on Masterchef or Ready Steady Cook where the chefs are given some ingredients and expected to make a masterpiece. But was my look going to be Pretty Pinky or Pretty Stinky?
Apologies, that was poor - moving on - these are the products I was sent!
What have we got and how did I use them??
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Glo Minerals : Pretty In Pink Makeup Look
So I'm a huge fan of Primark (who isn't?!) and I have found some absolute GEMS in there previously. You know - the kind of gems where everyone says "omgg where did you get that? Topshop? Urban Outfitters?" and you smugly reply "Primark actually!" I love it when that happens, don't you?
Anyway, one day I was dragging my overflowing basket round the beauty bit and I saw this little wonder. Primark perfume? I was dead certain it was either going to smell sickly sweet or ,a la Mean Girls, "like a baby prostitute".
But hey, I was in the market for a fragrance so I gave it a chance. One quick spray with the tester on my wrist and BOOOOOOM!
Just when I thought Primark couldn't surprise me anymore.....
This Primark Polka perfume is genuinely, really lovely. As soon as I smelt it, I was so surprised I even said "wow, that's ACTUALLY really nice!!
(Unfortunately a shop assistant heard me which was friggin mortifying, but she said that she'd heard that loadsa times before and people are constantly surprised once they try it. Phew, Zoe Dubs out of trouble!!)
But does it smell like a baby prostitute?
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Amazing Primark Find: Primark Polka Perfume
I've recently become quite an obsessive person. It's not something I'd normally say about myself until this year. Am I going backwards in life??!
I got my first Yankee Candle last October at a Bloggers Halloween event and I've been hooked ever since. Hooked on scented candles? I'm not sure whether to feel happy or sad..
Yes, that includes rushing into Clintons the minute I realised they sold Yankee Candles. Yes, it also includes prising open ALL the jars in ALL the scents to smell EVERY different candle on the shelf. Oh, and going back to smell them AGAIN to decide which one I liked the best.
That day, dear readers - was the beginning to my obsession with Yankee Candles and all things scented...
I never really used to burn candles - to me they were a birthday thing, or sometimes, a bath thing. But nowadays, I'll get home and put a candle on almost routinely. AND I LOVES IT!
I've even started bringing candles out of my bedroom and into the lounge - much to the annoyance of my male housemates who complain that it doesn't make any difference and it only smells "alright" when I shove it under their noses. (To be fair, that's probably the best I could manage if someone shoved a burning flame in my face. Sorry housemates.)
So, candle-converting attempts aside - here's a little look at what I'm burning this week.
First of all, my favourite. The ultimate scent for me....
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New obsession: The World of Yankee Candles...
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