Skincare Routine

Hey guys, so today’s post is going to be about my skincare routine. At the beginning of the January it really hit me that I'm getting married this year and I should really start putting some effort in to looking after my skin, after all no one wants to walk down the aisle with an outbreak of spots or a greasy forehead.

I've never really had a ‘skincare routine’ before and didn't even moisturise my face (so bad!), but I'm starting to change my ways. My skin used to be dry, rough and prone to breakout on my forehead and chin, now after just a couple of weeks I can already see a great difference. Also it helps that I'm making sure I drink enough water, eat my greens and have my five a day. 

I've been using L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Radiance Revealing Exfoliator  to wash my face in the mornings. Some exfoliating face washes can be rough, this is gentle, smells great and my skin is fresh and glowing afterwards.

In the evenings before I go to bed I cleanse using Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. Out of all the beauty products I'm currently using this is my top recommendation, I can't fault it! I'm prone to getting dry patches and the skin around my eyes can be really sensitive. In the past using other branded cleansers my face has been left stinging and red, however Garnier Micellar is so light and kind to skin, that I'm left with no irritation.  Also it removes make up easily without out having to aggressively rub your face, including eye make up which can be a real pain to get off at times! 

Then I've been using Garnier Vitamin Enriched Toner its soothing and contains  pro-vitamin B5, which helps keep the skin hydrated. You should always use toner after cleansing, as cleansing opens the pours and toner closes them. Otherwise your pours will end up blocked, causing dewy skin, breakouts and black outs. 

As I said I've only recently started moisturising my face, which is why L'Oreal Paris Triple Active Nourish Intense Hydrating Moisturiser is the perfect choice for me. It's targeted at people with dry skin and is a rich moisturiser aiming to improve the skins protective barrier, protect against premature skin ageing and rehydrate the skin. For a moisturiser with so many aims, you would think it would be heavy and greasy, but in fact it's the opposite. Before I started moisturising I had a few white hard dots on my face, which I have been told are caused by dehydration, now from using this product and drinking more water I'm slowly starting to see them disappear (yippee) and my face is a million times more soft and smoother. 

About twice a week my skin gets a extra pamper from L’Oreal Paris Pure Clay Detox Mask. It's a clay mask combined with charcoal, which acts as a magnet to draw out impurities. I picked this mask as I get blackheads, as I'm sure like a lot of you girls (and boys) do too from the daily grinds of day to day life. The Detox Mask really works deep into your pours to clear them out, without the burning sensation that comes with some face masks. Simply apply, leave for 5-10 minutes, then wash off and hey presto your skin will be left looking purer and clearer. 

L'Oreal also have two other face masks in their clay range L'Oreal Paris Pure Clay Purity Mask great for greasy skin and L'Oreal Paris Pure Clay Glow Mask to make your skin more luminous. If you have combination skin you may find it handy to get all three, as then you can target the different areas of your face. 

I'm getting amazing results from just taking that extra 10 minutes a day to give my skin some TLC, I just wish I started years sooner! 

Got any tips or tricks, please do share :) 

AJ x 

P.S. Boots currently have an offer on L'Oreal Paris skincare, If your interested in buying any of the above.

Tips to stay healthy in 2017

January is one of the worst months for trying to stay healthy, as we all still have chocolate and treats leftover from Christmas, and lets be honest most people have January Blues following the festive period.

I've put together a few tips which are helping me stay on the bandwagon and get fit in 2017. I've got no excuses this year, as we're getting married in September and every bride wants to look their best on their big day!

Clean out your cupboards
Start off by cleaning out your cupboards, get rid off all the unhealthy treats and replace with healthy snacks like nuts, berries and fruits. Like they say out of sight, out of mind.

Food prep
Food prep is major factor when trying to eat healthier. If you don't prep your meals in advance or plan your menu for the week ahead, you'll end up grabbing what is most convenient, which is usually junk food or takeaways.

Every Sunday evening I spend a hour or so bulk preping all our breakfast, lunches and snacks for the week ahead, so we know exactly what we're eating and when. This also makes my morning rush a lot easier!

Eat your greens
I know everyone says it, but eating your greens really does work wonders for your health. Greens are high in iron and vitamins, so you'll find you'll have more energy, clear skin, strong nails and glossy hair.

An easy way of eating more greens is sticking a handful of spinach or kale in your morning smoothie. This also works a treat if your not to keen on the taste, as the rest of the ingredients in your smoothie will help mask the taste.

Drink more water
Our bodies are composed of approximately 55- 80% water, depending on our size. The amount of water we drink each plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy body. There are so many health benefits of drinking enough water including improving our mood, reducing tiredness, decreasing cravings, flushing out toxins, helping digestion and aiding weight lost!

It is recommended that we should aim to drink at least 2 litres of water a day, which is something I really struggle with as I often forget to drink. So I started the year by buying a new water bottle to help me track exactly what I drink, and I'd recommend you do the same.

If you don't particular like the taste of water, try drinking green tea or hot water with lemon instead.

Lastly get active!
There's no need to sign up to a gym or go on millions of runs a day to get more active, you can simply change the little things to make a great difference. Take the stairs instead of the lift, if you can walk instead of jumping in your car, and just generally move more. I aim to do at least 10,000 steps a day, which is about 5 miles.

I use the Lifelog app to keep track of my fitness through out the day, I find this really motivates me to get up and move more- even if it is just walking to the kettle! There are loads of different fitness app, trackers and bands on the market, and it is definitely worth getting one.

How are you staying healthy this year?

AJ x

P.S. As you can probably tell I'm new to bloging, so would really appreciate any feedback :)

New Year, New Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I'm not normally one for making resolutions, as truth be told I'm rubbish at keeping them, but this year is going to be different (well I hope so)! I've decided to set myself a few goals, so I can make the most of this year and look back next year and see what I've achieved or maybe not achieved.

1. Make the most of every second- like they say time is precious so waste it wisely! I'm extremely lucky that myself, friends and family are all healthy and happy, but you never know when that might change and I don't want to have any regrets.

2. Do the things I love. I love fashion, beauty, interiors and shopping- what girl doesn't? So I've decided to do something with my passion and start a blog. Whether people read it or not, it won't bother me as It's something I'll enjoy doing (but hopefully someone will :) ).

3. Take steps to further my career. I'm currently working as an Events Fundraiser in the charity sector, which I really do enjoy but I don't know whether it's something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. The best part of my job is seeing the events come together after weeks, months or some times even years of planning. There's nothing more satisfying then coming home and putting your feet up after a successful event. I wanna take some courses and build up my knowledge in events and see what the future holds for me.

So there they are, my three resolutions, now let's see if I can keep them!

AJ x