Acne Prone - Skincare and Makeup to help!

I decided I would write this blog for those with Acne prone skin. I know this is a problem for a lot of women and girls and hopefully this will help in some way.

I didn't want to go the usual 'medicated', 'clinical' smelling route so I have chosen products that are more on the natural side rather than medical! It's so important, particularly when you have problem skin, that you try to use products that won't aggravate the situation even more which is why I have chosen products that are natural.

I'm going with 3 ranges here to make a life easier if you are planning to buy - Yes To Tomatoes, Nurturing Force and Physician's Formula.

SKIN CARE

I'm suggesting Yes To Tomatoes for skincare as it's clinically proven to help with acne-prone skin. It's also 98% Natural, Petroleum, SLS, & Paraben Free, not to mention Cruelty-free

(http://yesto.co.uk)

Start your morning with YES TO TOMATOES DAILY CLARIFYING CLEANSER (and end your evening with it too!). This cleanser maintains your skin's pH balance while removing excess oils and impurities, purifying and refreshing your complexion. Perfect!

After cleansing use YES TO TOMATOES DAILY PORE SCRUB. This is a powerful acne-fighting scrub which helps to combat blackheads and breakouts, but gentle enough for daily use. Ground mango seeds and bamboo exfoliate skin and help skin turnover a clean, clear surface. The Salicylic Acid combats acne and blemishes, Tomatoes help unclog pores, and a blend of Ginger Root and Bisabolol helps skin avoid redness. Nice!

Now moisturise using YES TO TOMATOES DAILY BALANCING MOISTURISER. This is rich in antioxidants and has powerful sebum (acne-causing oil) absorbers, it both moisturises and balances, keeping your complexion in check. Excellent!

As a treat use YES TO TOMATOES CLEARING FACIAL MASK. This is a total deep pore treatment that refines, purifies and even moisturises your skin, while helping to keep your complexion clean, clear and balanced. It's filled with potent anti-oxidants that fight free radicals, and bursting with powerful sebum (acne-causing oil) absorbers. Sure why not.

You can buy Yes To Tomatoes products from various locations in Ireland (check the link - http://yesto.co.uk/find-a-store-ireland.html)

Next PRIMER.

Of you are prone to bouts of oiliness throughout the day and it drives you crazy I have the perfect solution and that is NURTURING FORCE BLOT OUT SHINE OFFENSIVE (http://www.nurturingforce.com/). This is one of my absolute favourite primers for oily skin and it's natural!

It will soak up excess oil on the face. Use it after moisturising and before foundation. It will not only soak up excess oil but it will also act as a barrier between the foundation and the skin to help your foundation last longer, up to 14 hours in fact! Plus it's also a great little filler for pores!

It's silicone (dimethicone) free, contains no parabens, added fragrance or colour. It also helps to protect skin from blemishes caused by pore clogging make-up.

You can buy Nurturing Force from - www.preciousaboutmakeup.com

If you find you tend to get a lot of redness in your complexion try opting for a primer that will also

colour correct. I am recommending PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA CORRECTING PRIMER. It smoothes & tones down redness and works great for extra sensitive or breakout-prone skin. Ot also contains SPF 15, helps to reduce irritation and contains Malachite and Smithsonite which help lock in moisture and protect against daily environmental aggressors. Plus it's infused with Mineral Water for added comfort. Oh and least I forget it also contains a very cute Flow-Through Brush which will make life even easier!

You can purchase Physician's Formula from - http://ie.iherb.com/

FOUNDATION

I have chosen PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA YOUTHFUL WEAR SPOTLESS FOUNDATION for many, many reasons. Namely being that it reduces the appearance of spots by 67%* *it doesn't just mask them!), it contains SPF 15 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, it's Hypoallergenic, Paraben Free, Gluten Free, Dermatologist Approved, Non-Comedogenic, Clinically Tested, lasts for 12 Hours and on top of all that the bottle has a precision dropper that dispenses the perfect dose of make up onto your brush or sponge! Basically, it's fab!

You can purchase Physician's Formula from - http://ie.iherb.com/

CONCEALER

Once again, PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA CONCEAL PHYSITIANS STRENGTH CONCEALER. This is a great all rounder with maximum coverage that glides on smoothly to conceal blemishes, dark under-eye circles, scars, birthmarks, age spots, bruises, rosacea and hyperpigmentation and it lasts up to 12 hours!

You can purchase Physician's Formula from - http://ie.iherb.com/

POWDER

Yes, you guessed it, PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA MINERAL

WEAR LOOSE POWDER. The reason I think this is great is because firstly it comes in a very handy container with brush included! It's in loose form so it will set your foundation and concealer without looking heavy and it's suitable for extra sensitive or breakout-prone skin.

This powder formula helps to reduce irritation and breakout and contains SPF 30. It's Ultra-fine yet delivers impeccable coverage for a flawless airbrushed finish. It also visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pores and sun damage. What more could you ask for!

You can purchase Physician's Formula from - http://ie.iherb.com/

TOUCHUPS

For touch-ups throughout the day I personally would recommend a Blot paper rather than a pressed powder. And I absolutely love NURTURING FORCE BLOTTING PAPERS. All of these Blotting Paper varieties remove Shine, Perspiration, Dirt & Oil from Skin and Help to Unclog Pores. They have 3 different scents but I like the Unscented Pure version. It's fragrance free and comes in a very cool little black colored dispenser which allows you to determine exactly how long a length of our paper you will need. You just use what you need & protect the rest.™

These hand made Blotting Papers are a blend of two naturally soft fibers. It is made in the picturesque mountains of Taiwan, where they use the prized natural mountain spring water in the making of our paper. Imagine that!

Chemical-Free, Paraben-Free, Powder-Free, Preservative-Free, ultra soft and absorbent blotting papers, providing an easy dry way to refresh anytime and anywhere. Softer than a handkerchief and more absorbent than facial tissue or paper towel, it does not leave any lint or fibers even on a man's rough stubble! Safe to use over any type of make-up application! 

You can buy Nurturing Force from - www.preciousaboutmakeup.com 

Here's hoping you get some help from this and of course, let us know how you get on with the products :D

Quick Pick: Rimmel Stay Matte Primer

When I  first started wearing makeup I didn't even know what primer was (except maybe the one you use when painting walls). Now it's a very rare occasion I will ever do my makeup without it. I'm a big fan of Rimmels Fix and Perfect Primer as it's wonderful value for money, so I thought I'd give their newest offering a whirl a few weeks back.

The primer promises to reduce the look of pores and keep shine at bay for up to 8 hours. I'm yet to find a primer that covers my pores the way they promise, but this didn't do a bad job. My t-zone is quite oily, so 8 hours is a bit of a stretch, but I gave it a good 5 hours before I had to powder again. Not too shabby! I do really like this, and probably will repurchase although I can't personally see a massive difference between this and their Fix and Perfect.

This retails at €7.99 on the Boots website, and will last you a while as a little goes a long way! Do you wear primer? What's your all time fave?

Till next time,

Toodles,

NYX Concealer Review

My favourite makeup product may in fact be concealer. As long as I can remember I've had high colouration in my cheeks. It's something that used to really bother me, and I found quite hard to cover. Over the years I've discovered products that do the job enough for me to not want to walk around with a bag on my head. But I'm always open to new products! So I thought I'd give these two a go!

Nyx isn't the easiest brand to acquire this side of the pond, but thankfully it's slowly but surely making it's way into some pharmacies. I picked these two up online so choosing a colour was guess work! Porcelain is generally the safest bet when you're as white as me. To say these are good value for money is a bit of an understatement. Although one is a cream consistency and the other a liquid, they both give lovely, buildable coverage.

I use the cream more for the redness in my cheeks (as I can't be bothered with colour correcting when I'm in a hurry) and the liquid for blemishes. You also don't need a whole lot of product as they are quite pigmented. So far so good right? My only slight complaint is that I find sometimes used under the eyes they can crease after a while, but let's be honest most concealers do! Here they are unblended:

I'm super impressed with these and would definitely recommend anyone to try them out if you like your coverage a little more on the full side.

Till next time,

Toodles,