How Sudocrem Helped Me With My Breakouts

This may be something you've heard about before - I mean, I grew up with pretty bad skin so I know I have. I always looked for home remedies for breakouts, like toothpaste and ice cubes, and one thing I always used was sudocrem. For some reason, when I grew up and stopped getting my "early teen acne", I completely forgot how well sudocrem had worked for me, even when I got the odd breakout and complained I had nothing for it. So when I was sent this cute little sudocrem tube recently, I was reminded how well this used to work for me.

I first off want to say that I know this doesn't work for everyone, as everyones skin types are different and react differently to cetain products, but it works for me. I remember having a little tub of sudocrem I used constantly in my early teens to battle acne, which was really bad back then. It's nowhere near as bad now though, and is normally just the odd breakout. My skins been pretty bad recently though, as I'm really prone to stress breakouts and my exams are coming up soon, so stress  is everywhere.

All I do is apply some sudocrem on my really bad areas after I take my makeup off at night or in the morning if I forget. I normally leave it on for a couple of minutes, but I honestly don't know if the length of time changes how well it works - I have no idea. It's not an instant, overnight, "all my spots are gone" product, but after using this everyday for a few days, I saw such a reduction in my breakouts. I still get the odd spot that creeps out here and there, but it's been much better than before. I still use my Lush Mask of Magnaminty face and body mask to help my spots, and I find the two of them work really well together. It's really affordable and easy to buy, which means it's pretty accessible for most people. I mean, I'm pretty sure we've all had a tub of this in our cupboard at some point - it's a very multi-use product.

I'm so happy I rediscovered this little gem and was reminded of how well this used to help me and my bad skin. My breakouts may not be nearly as bad now as they used to be, but a little help goes a long way with skin care in my opinion. I've seen a reduction in my spots - especially my chin area which is normally where I get them really bad. And this cute little tube means it easily fits in my makeup bag and handbag.

Let me know if you've ever used sudocrem for your breakouts and if it worked for you. Thank you for reading my post and I hope you have a great day!

Twitter | Instagram

See you guys soon x

Rimmel Lipstick Lock: Does It Work?

One of my biggest pet hates is when 'long-lasting lipstick' turns out to actually be pretty short lasting. I'm a lazy person, and when I put on my lipstick in the morning I can never be bothered re-applying it during the day. That's why I decided, when I was on a recent shopping spree, to pick up Rimmel London's Lipstick Lock which claims to lock in your colour for the whole day. I was really entrigued to try this and to see if it actually worked, and if it did work, how long did it actually 'lock in' your colour for.

First of all, this product was pretty affordable so it wouldn't be the end of the world if it didn't fully work. I was pretty excited to try it, because this would be an absolute life-saver for me if it worked well. I started pretty high with this and tried it over my MAC Viva Glam III lipstick, which is a red-berry tone. I then went out for the day to see how well it worked. I also tried it over other MAC shades to see how well it worked with a glossier lipstick compared to a matte one.

The first thing I need to say about this is that it smells pretty strongly of nail varnish remover, and it tastes like it too (not that I've ever tried to eat nail varnish remover). The smell of acetone is pretty strong and I honestly second guessed if it was safe to apply to my lips. The smell does go away after a while though, but it was pretty off-putting to start off with. When applying it over my matte shades, it doesn't change the appearance too much as it has a slight drying affect which matte lipsticks already have. Applying it over glossy and sheen lipticks does make it go slighly matte though, as it does dry out your lips so I wouldn't recommend this.

Every time I've used this, I've seen an increase in the length of time my lipstick has lasted me which I've been so happy with. It may not feel the most comfortable on the lips, but my lipstick has stayed in place much longer than it normally would. One thing I do need to say though is that anytime I was eating or drinking, my lipstick did still slightly smudge, which is understandable but does mean this product isn't perfect. On days when I know I'll be out the house for quite a while, re-applying my lipstick and lipstick lock after eating seems to work out well for me.

Overall as a product, it does what it says and keeps your lipstick in place pretty well. It does have several negative points, some of which can be overlooked and some which are slightly irritating. But due to the fact this product was pretty affordable, I'm happy I bought it and tried it out. Let me know if you've tried it out before and what your experiences of it have been. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

Products I'll Always Repurchase

As a massive beauty and skincare lover, I do enjoy trying out new products, but I do have those products I just can't seem to stop buying. They've become staples in my makeup and skincare routines now, and trying out new or different ones just isn't for me. I know we all have them - a certain foundation or primer that works amazingly well for us, so why change it? I currently have 5 products in my collection that I seem to always repurchase, and don't plan on changing that anytime soon.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - I feel like I'm constantly going on about this foundation, but I honestly love it. It's by far the best foundation I've ever owned, and I'm not planning on changing to another one anytime soon. It matches my skin tone perfectly, applies beautifully and makes my skin look incredibly smooth. It never looks cakey but is still thick enough to cover all my blemishes and marks. The price tag doesn't bother me one bit, as I find foundation to be such an important product in your makeup routine and is something that, if it goes wrong, can alter your whole look. I didn't know someone could be so in love with a product to be honest.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser - Another product I go on about enough. I find this product does so much in just one small container and is so affordable for how great it is. Not only does it work really well at reducing the appearance of pores, it's also a great makeup primer. I've seen such a reduction in any pores I used to have since I started using this product, and my makeup lasts for ages when I have it on. Another thing I have to say it that it smells great - I love the fragrance the tea tree range has - and I honestly really enjoy using this. This is another product I can't imagine myself not using every day.

Urbran Decay Setting Spray - I honestly love Urban Decay's setting sprays - both the De-slick one and their All Nighter one which I'm currently using just now. I find them to keep my makeup exactly in place for the whole day, from leaving the house very early in the morning to taking it off late at night. Even when I've been crying or battered with rain, my makeup has stayed on perfectly. And they're not actually too expensive, especially if you opt for their travel sized bottles - which I think is such a smart idea and I often go for these ones. This is definitely a must-have product in my make-up bag.

Kiehls's Ulta Facial Cream - This is another product I feel like I go on about constantly. This has honestly helped transform my really dry and lifeless skin into really moisturised and healthy skin, and that makes me extremely happy. This product has done me wonders since I started using it, and it makes my skin feel amazing. The tubs go a really long way, which is good as it's not the cheapest face cream around, but it's definitely worth every penny. This product helped introduce me to the brilliant brand that is Kiehl's, and I don't know what I'd do without it now.

MAC Studio Fix Powder - I'm not too fusy when it comes to powders, but this one works really well. It keeps my foundation in place really well and is a really great match for not only my skin tone, but my concealer and foundation. It doesn't feel thick but is actually really light, and is also really great to wear on it's own without foundation. I really enjoy using this product and don't see myself switching to another anytime soon.

Let me know if you have any products you always repurchase, or if you use any of the ones I've mentioned. Thanks so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

Does Cocoa Butter Really Help Reduce Stretch Marks?

I've suffered from pretty bad stretch marks since I was young. I had quite a growth spurt when I was about 12, and ended up with really bad marks on my inner thighs. To be honest, they never bothered me too much because it was an area of my body, at that age, that rarely anoyone else but myself saw. But in the past year or so, I've gained more on my outer thighs and hips which honestly really make me feel self conscious, especially when I wear crop tops. So that's why I decided to try and find a way to get rid of them, or at least reduce their appearance. I tried out various prodcust from Boots that never really worked for me, so ended up trying Palmers cocoa butter as it's been known for years to reduce strech mark appearances and many pregnant women use it. I had pretty high hopes for it, anfter hearing some people say it really worked for them, even when my mum told me it wouldn't work. But did it work?

Honestly, no. I used the whole 125g tube and barely saw a difference. I have four regions that I used the cream on: my two outer thighs and the two sides of my hips, and I applied it every time I came out of a shower or bath. This meant I was applying it mostly every day, so it's not as if I was rarely ever using it. After a few weeks, I felt as if I saw a slight reduction in the marks on my left hip. Their appearance wasn't as red or obvious, but not as much as I would have hoped for. I thought this was the cream starting to work though, giving it the benefit of the doubt, and that it would continue to reduce the appearence in the coming weeks. But no. That's all I saw and it's still all I've seen.

I've heard of pregnant women who have used this throughout their pregnancy seeing a massive reduction in their stretch marks while using this. I'm not sure if my stretch marks aren't deep or thick enough (I have no idea on that kind of thing to be honest) but I thought mines would have been easier to reduce. Obviously not. Plus my marks are relatively new, as I know older ones that have turned a white colour are harder to get rid of. And I always applied a generous amount of it - so much so I used the whole thing up in about 4 months. But I haven't repurchased it as I find it to be a waste of money, and not worth the effort. I did honestly get my hopes up regarding this product, and I try to see the best in everything I try, but this really disappointed me.

All I can say is that if you're looking for a product to reduce the appearance of strech marks, go and ahead and try it. It may not work for me but it might work for you. I honestly didn't see much of an improvement in my stretch marks, and certainly saw no difference in my other three regions, but I know it has worked for others. But it did definitely leave my skin smelling like chocolate.

Let me know if you've ever tried using cocoa butter to reduce stretch marks, or if you know any other products that actually work. Thank you for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

500 Followers Giveaway!

So not too long ago, I reached a milestone that was pretty big for me - I reached 500 Twitter followers. It may be pretty small for some people, but since I've not been blogging for long, it's a big deal for me. I'd been saying for quite a while that when I reached 500 followers, I was going to do a giveaway on Twitter to celebrate, and that's exactly what I'm doing. So I took a trip into Boots and Lush and picked up a few things I thought you guys might like - even things I like ( I picked myself up a Sandstorm when I was in too). Here's a little summary of the prizes up for grabs:

NYX Liquid Suede Lipstick in Sandstorm

NYX Hot Singles Eyeshadow in Pixie

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Polish in Freestyle

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this giveaway is to check out this tweet - you have to follow me and RT it to enter. The giveaway goes live as soon as the tweet has been sent (6th of November) and will be open until Saturday the 26th of November at 8pm. I'm really excited about finally doing my first giveaway and I hope as many of you get involved as possible. Thank you so much for 500 followers - I love every single one of you!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x