Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser

Like many girls I am constantly striving for the perfect products to keep my skin looking healthy and breakout free.  I have combination skin which tends to be dry on my forehead, oily around my nose and chin and normal on my cheeks. As someone who has, thankfully, never really suffered with particularly problematic skin I wasn't quite sure what was causing me to break out pretty consistently a couple of months ago. I think the combination of stress and working in an office which allows for no fresh air day in, day out, were to blame. Whatever it was, it's safe to say my skin hated me.

My cleanser of choice at the time just wasn't cutting the mustard and after hearing many good things about the Origins range, I thought I would treat my skin to a little TLC. At £18 a bottle, Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser doesn't come cheap. However, for a product with natural ingredients and not the acetone-like substance you can get in a £4 Clearasil bottle, I think spending a little more is always worth it.

I have been using this cleanser now for four weeks and I am so impressed. It contains saw palmetto which is supposed to inhibit excess oil production, salycilic acid to exfoliate and unclog pores, and the added mint makes it smell so fresh. The cleanser foams up slightly as you add water and washes off easily leaving my skin free from all traces of make-up and looking brighter but not tight or stripped entirely of moisture. In terms of breakouts, it has certainly kept them at bay and I have definitely noticed an improvement in the oiliness of my skin. You only need to use pea-size amount for your whole face so it doesn't look like it will be running out any time soon. But if the effects continue to be as good as I've experienced so far, I'll almost certainly be repurchasing.

I Covet Thee, A New Way Of Thinking

By now, every Tom, Dick and Harry should be familiar with the name Samantha Brick and the uproar that her controversial article caused the other week. The target of many a bitchy comment about her apparently average looks and delusional self perception, it is a wonder that she didn't merely crumble away and regret the whole thing. But today, she hit back with yet another article explaining and justifying herself and her words. I don't want to focus on the controversy of Samantha Brick so much in this post, but the fact that here is a woman so confident in her own skin that she has no qualms professing her self worth.

On a daily basis women are inundated with the front covers of newspapers and magazines sporting the latest fad diets that we just HAVE to try because we all HAVE to lose that extra bit of weight that stops us from fitting into a socially acceptable size 8 and pushes us into the deep, dark realms of double figured sizes, dare I say it, A SIZE 10! Shock bloomin' horror. 

Ever tried fitting into your boyfriend's skinny jeans? Ever found that you can barely slip them over your thighs? Ever wondered why? Women are built differently to men; we have hips, child bearing hips and we are bloody well supposed to be that way. 

Magazines and the media seem to think that they are doing us all a much needed favour with their relentless quest to get us to buy their latest issues, try their latest quick fixes and then cry as we have to pull the size 10s back out of the wardrobe once we stop living off just carrot sticks. 

What needs to be promoted to women more is not weight loss but healthy life styles. Women should be conscious about the health of their bodies, not merely if they can pinch an inch too many. Exercise is solely promoted as a means of weight loss, not as a necessary activity of everyday life, not as something that can be enjoyable. Last year I ran Race For Life, a 5km fun run that I am sure you have all heard of. This gave me the kick up the bum I needed to go for a run/jog regularly. (I use the term loosely, no more than 2/3 times a week, but that's more regular than my previous status of zero runs a week). I don't think I lost any weight from training, but I got a hell of a lot fitter and eventually managed to finish 5km without having to stop and pick up my lungs; the furthest I've ever run, ever! I've never been good at running, but I've kind of grown to like it. It hurts like hell and my legs haven't learnt to carry me all that far, but I'm working on it (partly as I had a mental breakdown and signed up to a half marathon in October, jokes!)

Not everybody likes running or wants to do it. But, my point is find something that you do and take it up and stick to it without weight watching. Think about your body in terms of healthiness, not jeans size. I made Rob do that 30 Day Shred workout with me, which is quite popular at the moment and I have never laughed so hard! Do it with someone, trust me, it's hilarious. People look ridiculous doing star jumps, watch them, it's brilliant.

Not everybody was built to be super slim, and if you weren't, don't try and force your body to fit that mould. Embrace having a little junk in your trunk and make maintaining a healthy life style your priority, not the unhealthy images of a size zero craze. If only it were that easy as to turn the other cheek to the diet covered magazines and re-wire our brains to see exercise as more of a healthy life style, then perhaps we could all write like Samantha Brick about how beautiful we are and be confident in doing so, perfectly happy in the skin that we have. For that, I envy her.

Because You're Worth It

Remember Christmas, way back when? Well, I received this Volume Million Lashes Mascara by L'oréal Paris as part of a present from Rob. In all honesty, (and without sounding too ungrateful!) I wasn't over the moon with it as it was a lovely thought, but I just would never have picked this mascara myself. I think most girls are extremely particular when it comes to mascara, what brands they like, what style of brush, black or brown etc. For me, I like my brushes to be thick, bristly and black as the night sky à la No.7 Intense Volume or Benefit Bad Gal.

Benefit Bad Gal Mascara

Boots No.7 Intense Volume Mascara

Rob had chosen a mascara that comes with a rubber toothed brush, one of my mascara absolute pet hates! Poor sod. I was honest and voiced my opinions on how I didn't like plastic or rubber mascara brushes but he had thought about this present so I decided to give it a go.

Verdict? I LOVE IT.

L'oréal ParisVolume Million Lashes Mascara

It is amazing. I have always found rubber brushes to cause ridiculous levels of clumpiness, remember those girls from our mid-teenage years who used to clump their lashes together to give the impression of just 3 disgusting fat lashes? *vom* That's the effect I've always had with them, a most unattractive one. This mascara, however, does nothing but fan my lashes out. The length and volume I achieve is amazing. My lashes look full, long, dark and curved, something I never thought I would be able to achieve with a rubber toothed brush. Application is easy, the number of coats depends on how much volume you wish to apply making it a suitable mascara for both day and night.The staying power of this mascara is 10/10, there is no flaking during the day and my lashes are just as long and thick when I return home at night as when I applied it that same morning.

L'oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara

Have any of you tried the L'oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes mascara? What was your opinion? (Particularly on the controversial rubber brushes!) 

I'll leave you with a picture of the disgustingly beautiful Eva Longoria (face of said mascara) to perve over. Eugh, doesn't she just make you sick? 

Lucky No.7

I have always found my moisturiser to be a reasonable base for applying my make-up, but the staying power of foundation has been a constant battle I seemed incapable of winning. The word 'primer' has floated past my ears once or twice, so after receiving my 18373657 £5 off Boots No.7 voucher, I decided to invest in one at the now not so bank breaking cost of £6 for 40ml (RRP £11). There were a few to choose from including two colour calming primers, one to help correct dull/sallow skin and another to correct reddish skin tones. I decided to go for the 'shine free' base as I thought it suited me best.   

The bottle claims to, 'Keep shiny skin under control all day long , with this mattifying oil-free base.' It comes out of the squeezy tube as a white cream and you rub it into your skin as you would a moisturiser, then apply your foundation on top. It does not have a very strong smell, it really just smells like 'make-up'. It has extracts of watermelon and cucumber in it and these scents are slightly detectable, but by no means over powering. It is some what drier than a moisturiser but not unpleasant to apply to your skin; being the first primer I have tried, I am not sure if this is a common trait? You just have to blend it in quite quickly as it tends to dry rather fast, but this really is the only downside that I find with the product. 

My make-up lasts all day. My foundation from when I return home from uni looks pretty much as it did when I left the house that same morning, not a hint of fading or blotchiness. My foundation looks smoother and more evenly applied across my face and shiny skin is no longer a problem. I really regret not pricking up my ears sooner and investing in such a product, as I feel like I am getting far more wear for my money from my make-up now. How does this rate up to primers you have perhaps tried, any recommendations?