Ok, so I know I've said this a 100 times, but I have dry skin and it can be very sensitive to some products. It has taken me awhile to find products that are more 'natural' than the conventional products, gave my skin enough moisture and didn't cause my skin to itch or go red. I concentrate on putting moisture back into my skin during the night (my morning routine is pretty simple) and use oil and then a cream. I'll do another blog on the oils I use, but here are the face moisturisers I've been trying.
After doing some reading about ingredients that are good for dry skin I decided to go for something which contained Vitamin E, known for it's moisturising properties. I had a nosey in my local Holland and Barrett and found the Dr Organic Vitamin E Cream. This was a lovely product, sunk into the skin really well, and I liked that, while I mainly used it on my face, I could use it anywhere I had dry patches. It's also vegan, cruelty free, and paraben and fragrance free. The fact that it's in a glass jar is also a plus when it comes to reducing waste. Definitely worth having a look at and I will probably buy it again in the future.
Next I tried the Barefoot SOS Face & Body Rescue Cream that I had a sample of. Designed specifically for dry and sensitive skin, this seemed like the perfect solution. This product is also vegan and cruelty free, as well as being free from a whole load of synthetic products including parabens and sulphates. Though it does contain essential oils it didn't irritate my skin at all and did leave my face feeling very soft and nourished. The only problem I had was that I could still feel it sitting on my face after a couple of hours and I don't like that feeling. I might think about getting this as a hand and dry patches moisturiser, but not as a face moisturiser.
Another product that I first got as a tester, but then brought as the full product, was the Green People Fruitful Nights Night Cream. I love this stuff. It smells amazing and did really feel like it was moisturising my face, though maybe not as well as the first two products. Vegan, cruelty free and free from a number of synthetic products, it also donates some of it's profits to charity. Green People is a great company and I don't think I've not enjoyed a product I've bought from them. I am very tempting to buy this again and probably will in the future, but as I'm trying to streamline my beauty products right now I wanted to see if I could find something that could be multiply purpose, like Dr Organic Vitamin E Cream and Barefoot SOS Face & Body Rescue Cream. This product is also on the slightly pricey side.
The last product that I got (and am still using) is the Jason Revitalizing Vitamin E 5,000 i.u. I decided to go for another Vitamin E product as I felt it did so well before and this has been very effect. Jason is another environmentally friendly company and all their products are vegetarian (though I believe this one is vegan), cruelty free, and free from the usual synthetic ingredients. They also support Care, a charity that helps girls go to school. As a product it has done a good job at moisturising and has been something that I could use on other areas of my body where there has been dry patches. During my time using this I had also used up my last eye moisturiser and have just been using this instead of buying a new eye moisturiser. It has done a very good job in this role as well and hasn't irritated my sensitive eyes at all. You also get a lot of product for not a lot of money so is well worth getting. The only downside for this product is that it comes in a plastic container, but seeing as it lasts for such a long time I don't feel as bad using it. I've almost finished this one, my second pot, and am going to buy it again. However, this time I'm thinking of going for the 25,000 i.u. as my skin has been unusually dry recently so I want something stronger. So that's all the moisturisers I have tried so far and it may not seem like a lot, but all of these products take a long time to use. I love the fact that I have found a multi-tasker which I can use on my face, eyes, and body. Definitely makes life a lot easier. If you have a moisturiser that you like let me know.
I was going to write this blog about the election of Trump and, after a short period to see what he would actually do, see what implications this would have on the protection of the planet. However, there are enough people discussing this already and, seeing as we can't change this now, would it really be helpful. So I've decided to write about something else. A little while ago I saw the card above and bought it for no reason other than to have to look at now and then. It is amusing, but the reason I brought it is to be a little reminder that, no matter how bad things get, it could be worse. There have been a lot of changes over the last year and a number of them look like they could have very serious implications for the environment (Brexit and Trump as President are two things that immediately come to mind) and it would be easy to fall into doom and gloom. The problem with this is that if you only focus on the bad it's easy to get disheartened and to just stop trying. But, it could be worse. Those that are elected to run our countries may seem to be lying gits who turn their back on everything they promise up to the election and put their and their friend's interests first. But, at least we did get to elect them and if we gave them the power to rule this time we can take it away the next. Even, while they are in power we can constantly contact our MPs about subjects that are important to us, and the more we do so the more they'll know what will keep them where they want to be - on top. Pester power doesn't just work on parents. We may need to change the way we vote though (that's whole blog in itself). There are many people still living a highly unsustainable lifestyle, following the more is better rule we've been taught which is so destructive to the one thing we need to live - the planet. Yet there is a growing number of people turning their back on this lifestyle for so many reasons and as more people see how easy and beneficial it is those numbers will increase. The people who seem to have all the say are those with all the money - the CEOs of companies, stakeholder, supermarkets, the banks...... However, the truth of the matter is that we are the ones giving them the money and we can change what they do by where we decide to put our money. By making more ethical decisions in our purchases we are telling these companies and individuals that this is where they'll make money. It might start off a bit pricey to begin with, but once more people buy it the cheaper it'll become. Free range eggs is an example where the prices have dropped over the last few years because it became a more popular choice with us buyers. Things aren't great at the moment and we're probably worse than the toothbrush, but we're not at the toilet brush yet. There's still time and...... it could be worse.
This month I did a lot better that I was expecting. I knew I was near the end of some products, but I didn't realise how close I actually was. So, let's start with the products I've used up......
The first is the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (missing it's top - I have no idea where that went). While this was travel size it still lasted a very long time and it was very effective at making my makeup last all day rather than slipping off my face around lunch time. Urban Decay is also cruelty free (but their parent company isn't) so if you want to try a setting spray I'd definitely give this one a try, just remember to shake it. However, I'm not that bothered about keeping my makeup lasting that long, so I won't actually be buying this or any setting spray in the future.
I also finished the last of my Faith In Nature Replenishing Aloe Vera Eye Gels. I remember loving this product when I first started using it many, many years ago, but now it doesn't feel moisturising enough. It could be the age of the product I have now, but it's most likely that I know need something much more moisturising now that I'm in my 30s. You can't get this product anymore any way, but I do really like Faith In Nature products so I will probably have a look at other eye products they have when I finally need to. Faith In Nature is also a cruelty free company.
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray came as part of a tester box and I was interested in using it as I do have issues sleeping. Theoretically it should have worked, but I'm not sure I noticed any real difference to say for certain. I also couldn't spray it onto the part of the pillow I actually lay my face on as I was allergic to it, so I was spraying it on the underside of the pillow. As far as I can tell This Works is cruelty free and it could work on people whose brains are a little less active.
The last product I've used up is the e.l.f. High Definition Undereye Setting Powder in Sheer. While this is meant to be just an undereye setting powder I have read reviews that have said that it is just their face powder in a smaller container, so I've been using it as an all over powder and it's been pretty good at that for the price. I think it would be good under the eyes as well, but I have such dry skin under there at the moment that no powder is working and I don't think I can give a fair opinion on it. E.l.f. is cruelty free, but I would just get the face powder instead of buying the undereye setting powder and use it for everything.
I have been mainly concentrating on 4 of the eyeshadow I have put on my project pan: the Natural Collection shadow in Sable, the pink / purple shadow from the H&M palette, the purple Body Shop shadow and the Body Shop shadow in Coconut About You. You can definitely see increasing pan on three of these and I'm hoping to get through the two purple colours in the next couple of months. I have also been using the Natural Collection shadow in Sea Shell as a highlight on my eyes and cheekbones, but there isn't any obvious change on this eyeshadow as yet. There isn't much movement on the Urban Decay palette, but that should hopefully start later on in the year.
I've been using the Barbara Day eye primer on a daily basis, but it's very difficult to see what progress there has been. I might try the trick I've seen people use when they put the container in hot water the make the product fall to the bottom. However, this product is very thick and it might not work. I probably won't know until it's right at the end.
The Soap & Glory Smoulder Kohl Waterproof Eyeliner in Superblack is a great eyeliner and I forgot how much I like using it, which is just as well as I'm using it on a daily basis. It's also taking a very long time to get through, which means it probably wasn't a good idea to put it in a project pan. But there is still progress and I think I should be able finish it by the end of the year.
I've been predominantly concentrating on the Bourjois Colour Boost this month and have made quite a lot of progress. However, this hasn't been as much as it could be as I have been using the NYX butter gloss since I noticed a slight change in the smell. I don't think it's off yet, but it will be getting there. As with the eye primer, it's difficult to see where I am with the butter gloss.
It looks like I'm finally working my way through the Wella System Professional Polish Cream. I've worked out that the trick with this product is to put it in my bag and then I can just add it when my hair gets a bit frizzy, which is a lot at the moment.
I didn't mark my Jean Paul Gaultier Eau De Parfum as I couldn't take marking the bottle - it's so pretty. But I've definitely got quite far as you can now see it between the lace of the corset section. It should only be another couple of months before this is gone.
I've only been concentrating on the Max Factor Glossfinity nail polish in Raspberry Blush this month and there has been some progress, but probably not as much as it could be. I think the main issue is, as before, I seem to have gotten out of wearing varnish and I forget to put it on. I am still hoping to get through all these polishes though, lovely manicured fingers crossed.
The last two products here are the Makeup Academy (MUA) foundation in shade 4, that I use for contouring, and the Bourjois blush in Ceidre. There isn't too much obvious progress on these, but I am using them on a daily basis. The blush is definitely old though as it looks like I going to have to scratch the top layer off to be able to keep using it.
As for products that aren't part of my project pan, I finished the e.l.f. Daily Hydration Moisturizer with spf 15 and stopped using the Lavera Intense Volumising Mascara in Black. The moisturizer was good and I liked that it had spf. It also worked very well as a base for my makeup, but is wasn't moisturizing enough for my skin at this time of year and I had to use another moisturizer first. I really wanted the Lavera mascara to work, especially as I can get it locally. Unfortunately, this not only smudged around my eyes, but it also stung my eyes a little bit when I removed it. I've been using it with a layer of a waterproof mascara over the top, but it time to try something else that doesn't sting. So that's it for now. I don't think there'll be any products gone next month, but I'm glad to have used up what I have already.
