I am finally ready to enter my skincare era. For so long I have neglected skincare and I am starting to feel it now as I am fighting constant breakouts and dark circles, it is time to make the change now though at long last to really start to improve the condition of my skin overall and just feel more confident due to how my skin turns out after a bit of TLC. It is certainly time now to build a skincare routine for me to stick to and here are some of the items I want to pick up to add into that routine to hopefully see a difference in my skin condition...

Following on from my post all about my style journey as things are changing where I mentioned it wasn't just clothing that was changing but other aspects too, today's post is all about the purchase I am hoping to make in the near future to help along with the changes in all aspects of my journey. There are plenty of purchases I want to make to help along with my overall changes but I have noticed that a lot of these items are getting pretty expensive therefore I am certainly going to have to get saving up for a lot of these purchases rather than just being able to head out and purchase them straight away. I guess this might be a good thing though as I can really consider if these purchases are for me or not rather than rushing into them like I normally do and who knows by the time I have got to the point of picking an item up I may have changed my mind but I guess only time will tell with that. 

So here are the items I am planning on saving up to purchase to help me along with those changes I am wanting to make in my life overall...

Now this is a fragrance brand I have wanted to try for a long time as Lydia Millen used to mention them all the time and since then I have heard plenty of good things about the fragrances they do. I am really hoping that in the not so distant future I can add one of these fragrances into my rotation but with the price of a bottle I am going to have to find a store where I can go find the perfect scent for myself. I high quality fragrance is something I need to add to my wardrobe ASAP though.

Chanel Perfume

Just like with the Penhaligons I have heard really good things about the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle fragrance however, the price point has always put me off picking up a bottle. This is definitely going to change though as I am hoping this is going to be one of the first items off this list I pick up. From what I have seen about this fragrance it is perfect for the autumn & winter seasons so lets hope I can get a bottle in time.

Origins cream

I have lost count of how many times I have picked up this cream and then put it back due to the price however, I am now starting to invest in my skincare as my skin is in such terrible condition at the moment so I think this is going to be one of the purchase I make early on. I have heard good things about this cream so let's hope when I do get it the expectations are lived up to. 

Kiehls Midnight Recovery

Now this is something else I have put off buying for so long due to the cost but I am now considering finally picking up a bottle of this to see if it helps make any difference to my skin. This is something I have had recommended to me plenty of times over the years so let's hope it is another product that will live up to expectations.

Red Light Mask 

This might scare the dog and give me 5 minutes of peace away from him as the mask does look quite creepy however, I am at the stage now where I will do anything to help sort my skin out. This is another product I have heard good reviews about so want to try one for myself. This is quite an expensive item though so I am going to have to look into which one is going to be best for me.

Dyson Hair Dryer Supersonic

Now my current Lee Stafford hair dryer is on its way out as it doesn't smell or sound great anymore and it is only a matter of time until it totally gives up on me. My hair has grown so much lately and it is about time I spent some money on products that are going to help me look after my hair now it is growing the way I want it. I keep getting drawn towards the Dyson hair dryer and I have heard some good things in the past about it so maybe it is time for me to save up to make the purchase although the price looks quite scary to me.

Tag Watch

I think a Tag watch has been on my wish list for about 10 years now so the plan is to get saving up to finally add one to my collection. These really aren't cheap however, I just absolutely love the design and silhouette of these watches and I feel as though it is the perfect watch to start building up a bit more of a higher end watch collection which is the absolute dream for me.

I noticed throughout the summer that my skin was getting into terrible condition, I was breaking out once more, it was taking ages for breakouts to calm down and my skin was constantly red and itchy. I think this was partly down to a big change in my diet, the wrong way once again but I also realised I wasn't taking care of my skin like I used to. My skin had just got used to me having a consistent skin care routine however, as the weather got better I neglected that, it was also used to me being hydrated and eating better foods, something where I noticed a huge difference in my skin condition but again my diet went off track and the first place that suffered was my skin. The past month or so though I have been putting that time aside once more to piece together a skin care routine that works for me alongside getting my skin sorted out I have also started taking more time in my whole routine when I am getting ready, I consider which fragrance suits the season more and I also spend more time sorting my hair as it is out of control at the moment whilst it is growing out. So here are some of the daily products I am using in my routine which is still fairly new but coming along nicely...

First up I have been using the Neutrogena clear and soothe mousse cleaner, in the past I have never bothered with a cleanser but I am so glad I gave this mousse cleanser a go, it is really refreshing on my skin and I have seen a nice difference since using this. I have noticed with this cleanser a little really does go a long way and it seems to be lasting me a long time making it great value for money so far, I just hope my skin carries on agreeing with it. I also use the Neutrogena clear and defend + face wash, before I bought this I did a bit of research and found it was part of a budget range that would be perfect for my skin, since using this range my breakouts have certainly become less frequent which is the best result I could have wished for. the face wash applies really well and I finish off the routine with two more items from the range, the serum and the clear moisturiser. I am really impressed with how these products are working with my skin and I have a funny feeling I will be repurchasing all these items when the time comes.

Another daily product I use is the Mitchum shower fresh roll on, now up until a few month ago I wasn't a fan of roll on deodorants but after a few recommendations I picked the Mitchum one up as it was on offer in boots and I honestly don't think I will be going back to aerosol deodorants in the future. This shower fresh roll on certainly keeps me smelling good during the day and isn't too overpowering like some aerosol ones, it isn't sticky and one roll on certainly lasts a long time. I have already got another one in line for when my current one runs out and I don't see any changes to which deodorant I use anytime soon, I am super happy with it. 

When it comes to fragrances I am really trying to cut back on the amount I spend on a bottle as I was buying expensive ones and getting sick of them a month or so later, as I am trying to manage money better now my eyes are being opened to cheaper products that still smell great. At the moment I  am just using these small eau de toilette from the Primark men's department, they are around £2 a bottle and last me a long time even though they are such small bottles. I have a variety of scents from here that are perfect for autumn which I keep switching between and each fragrances stands out in its own way without being too overpowering, something which I was worried about when first buying them. 

I am growing my hair out at the moment as I just feel like a bit of a change however, I have noticed that growing my hair out takes a lot more patience than I expected and I need to spend a bit more time on it each day as it is a lot harder to style, I can't just run the brush through it and leave it. I have started applying this oil to it which is definitely helping keep it in a good condition and then I am applying a beach matt paste just to help create the curly messed up look I am going with lately and will be doing for a long time. This Got2b one was reasonably priced and is lasting me a long time so I am sure this is going to be another repurchase when it is finished. 

Finally every day I use this shockwaves hairspray. I was using the got2b one however, it costs a fortune these days and I wasn't getting the hold I wanted from it so I switched to this shockwaves one and I am impressed. I can get two cans of this for the price of one got2b one so it is much better value for money and it lasts longer and provides a much better hold, something I am very grateful of especially with how my hair is growing at the moment.

As I said this routine is still fairly new and I am working out which products work the best for me and which don't however, so far all these products are working brilliantly for me and a lot of them will definitely be getting repurchased when they run out. It has been nice having a skincare routine that is benefiting me a lot more than previous ones have and this is actually easy to stick to, 2022 has been all about building habits and the items in this post are definitely helping me with that. 

What are some products you use daily?

I currently have a very nice collection of fragrance on the go and it is all looking great on display in the spare room however, it just feels like something is missing. For so long I have been without one of my signature scents and it is driving me mad although at the same time I am absolutely loving my bargain Primark fragrances. I have definitely thinking about upgrading my collection lately though and here are some of the fragrances I would love to add... 

Finally on the list we have the Tom Ford Madarino Di Amalfi Acqua signature scent, now this will only be purchased as a very special treat as it is on the very expensive side of things compared to all the other fragrances on this list. Again it was the bottle that sold me on this however, next time I see it I want to have a smell of it as it does sound like one that I would really enjoy wearing. 

So there you go those are the fragrances I would love to purchase in the very near future and I know that the CK One fragrance will definitely be bought in the next month or so as I can't be without this one currently. I do need to get through some of my cheaper fragrances that I currently own but sometimes you just can't beat a new fragrance. 

It has been a month of me trying to stick to my skincare routine and to be honest it has really been hit and miss for me. The month kicked off with me going on a long weekend away and I just forgot to pack half of the items I required to carry out my full routine which I am glad I did really as it saved me some space in my bag. I then kept forgetting quite a few nights to carry out my routine as I was home late or just far too tired and I just wanted to crawl into bed.  On a morning to the days I forgot are the days when I wanted some extra time in bed or when I just had to rush about in the morning instead of having my usual morning routine play out. I wish I managed to do the full month of the skincare routine but what I did manage to do seemed to have started to do the trick for me. 

I have definitely noticed that over the course of the month my spots have definitely been reduced, especially the ones around my eyes and down my cheek. The new routine mixed with my acne cream seems to have made them look a lot less angry and took a lot of the redness out of the area. When I look at my face now I am definitely impressed with how much clearer it is looking at the moment so it gets me wondering what it will be like a few months down the line. My skin also feels much softer after the month than it did previously I don't know if it is the effect from the creams I have been using or just the fact my skin is definitely a whole lot softer now. 

In terms of my diet whilst trying to stick to the routine I have to say it has been a whole lot better than before. I have eaten a lot less fast food and processed food this month than I have done previously due to my weight loss journey been stepped up a whole lot. I have also had less fizzy drinks and alcohol too and mainly stuck to water throughout the month which I believe has been a big factor in my skin really beginning to clear up. I used to think that drinking water etc was just a lie for clearing up your skin but I really think after doing this for myself for a month my eyes have been opened and I really do believe now there is a connection between your diet and your skin and it is something I am now going to be focusing on a bit more often alongside continuing with the skincare routine I created for myself. 

I managed to get sunburnt a few times during the month because it seems like my skin just has to see the sun to end up burnt to a crisp and it is driving me mad. I think if I could really prevent my skin from burning so much I could have my skin in much better condition. I am determined that over the summer I am going to take a whole lot more care of my skin to try stop any further damage being caused. I really do think if I took more in the sun my skin would be in much better condition so now it is definitely time to take more care of it. 

This past month has definitely taught me a lot about my skin and even how my lifestyle effects it so I am definitely going to always keep this in my mind when it comes to improvements if my skin takes a turn for the worse again. I didn't really stick to the routine as much as I would have liked as I said earlier but honestly a habit is definitely forming and I think if I keep to this routine for a few months I am going to make a massive difference on my face as by skipping a routine a more than a few times has made a bit of a difference so just how much would a full month improve its condition? I am definitely excited to see how my skin changes over the coming months. 

Over the years I seem to have got a lot more into fragrances and I have experimented with different ones instead of sticking with the same ones year after year which is something I did a lot. Once I found a scent I liked I would end  up just repurchasing it over and over again which got boring in the end. Since trying different scents I have found new brands I enjoy and some that I will definitely avoid, I much prefer to buy men's fragrances as often the women's ones are too floral for my liking but sometimes women's fragrances do stand out and I will purchase them. Sometimes even the packaging could influence my decision over whether I am going to purchase a scent or not. Over the years I have definitely changed what I buy but here are the fragrances currently on my fragrance wish list...

The Moschino Toy Boy fragrance is one I actually only originally wanted due to the teddy bear bottle, I absolutely love the look of this black glass teddy bear bottle and it will look great on my dressing table due to the great bottle design. I actually managed to have a smell of this scent from a tester bottle recently and it smells like it is going to be right up my street and it could easily become my daily scent. 

CK One Summer

I am currently using CK One as my daily scent and I love it, as soon as it runs out I am going to repurchase a new bottle. When I was browsing the internet recently I came across the CK One Summer 2021 edition and it looks amazing. Not only is it in a bright summer themed bottle but it also has citrus notes which is fantastic for me as I love anything with citrus scents. I could easily end up picking this up soon.

Polo Ralph Lauren Big Pony 2

I used to own this fragrance and I used it as my daily fragrance for a long time as I loved it that much. I keep meaning to repurchase this fragrance however, there was always a different one that came along and I ended up opting for the new one rather than the Ralph Lauren one. Who knows 2021 could be the year I finally pick up one of my favourite fragrances again. 

Tom Ford - Undecided On Which One

I used to own the Tom Ford Black Orchid fragrance and I absolutely loved it, even people around me would compliment me due to the smell of this fragrance and it was overall just fantastic. I would love to purchase a new Tom Ford fragrance but I don't really know which one I want just yet but it could easily be the Black Orchid one again. The only problem for me is just how expensive the Tom Ford scents are, they are definitely a treat. 

Creed Aventus

This is probably the ultimate fragrance for me as it has been on my wish list for so long however, the price is really putting off as I just can't bring myself to pay over £100 for a bottle of something that is going to need replacing sooner rather than later, if I did get this and like it as much as I think I will it could end up very costly. I actually buy scents at the moment that are very similar but a lot cheaper so for now I will stick to purchasing them but who knows I might end up treating myself to a bottle of Creed one day. 

I definitely really enjoy buying fragrances now as there are so many great ones out there. I have a good little collection recently that I love wearing but who knows new bottles might be added soon. What is on your fragrance wish list? 

I recently mentioned on the blog my current skincare products, these are all the products that are going to be helping me over the next month as I try to create a skincare routine that I am actually going to stick to and do daily instead of neglecting my skin like I have done lately. I have recently been told by my doctor that what I thought was just a small breakout was actually acne which knocked me back a bit as I honestly didn't think it was that bad but looking it a lot closer it definitely isn't just a small break out and I really need to take care of my skin a whole lot more and use the cream the doctors prescribed me as I should be doing. I have also ended up getting sunburn a few times already this year which I said I wouldn't , after last years incident I said I was going to take more care whilst out in the sun but that hasn't happened and my skin is bright red and very sore. 

So from today I am going to try stick to a skincare routine for 1 month to start with to try develop a healthy habit that I am going to stick to for a lot longer than the upcoming month. I am hoping that in that month I can develop a routine that is going to really benefit my skin and improve my acne too as I have found a bit of confidence has disappeared since the acne flared up.  So here is what routine I am going to try stick to...

On a morning I am now getting up and working out before I start my day the majority of days so once my workout is done I will jump in the shower. Before I jump into the shower though I will use a cleanser to help remove any product from the night before. Whilst in the shower I will give my face a good wash to just remove any remaining product and I will use the Simple face wash to do this. Once I am out of the shower I will then towel dry my face before applying my eye cream and either some suncream or my day time moisturizer. Once that is done I am ready to go for the day, if it is a particularly nice day I will also top up suncream throughout the day as and when it is required. 

On an evening just before I am ready to call it a night and go to bed I will be heading into the bathroom and applying my foam cleanser to help get ready of any products from during the day and any dirt that might have ended up building up whilst I have been out and about. I will follow up that with my face wash again just to make sure my face is as clean as it can be before I dry it and finish off my routine with my cream from the doctors that is meant to help with my acne breakout so fingers crossed it really does work. My night time routine is definitely going to be a nice simple one as I just can't wait to climb into bed at the end of the day. 

Along with doing these routines I am also planning on drinking a lot more water than I have been doing as I have been slacking in that area lately but when I have drunk a lot of water for a period of time in the past I have noticed my skin definitely improves. I know that this routine might not work for me straight away and a few things might need to be changed however, for now this is my starting point and fingers crossed when I am writing my round up post in 1 month time I can write about some great changes that have happened and that the condition of my skin has begun to improve too. 

One thing I have noticed lately is that my skin is in terrible condition. I honestly don't know why though as I have been trying to look after it a lot more than I previously have, I have also been drinking a lot more water which is meant to be good for your skin so I don't know where I am going wrong all I can think is that my skin is getting worse due to the amount of times I am wearing a mask which definitely doesn't help with the condition of my skin. 

I have been playing around with different products lately to see what works for me and what doesn't whilst I try to get back on track with a skincare routine and so that I feel confident in my skin once more. So here are the products that I am currently using to try solve the problem for a while... 

Unfortunately I seem to have been cursed with the dark circles under my eyes from my dad and his side of the family. They have definitely been getting worse over the past year or so I have added an eye brightening cream into my skincare routine, again this is just a cheap one from Superdrug but it seems to do the trick when I remember to use it. It definitely does brighten under my eyes and makes them look so much better. 

I also use the Naturally Radiant day and night creams when I can be bothered to use them as they are really good for the fraction of the cost of ones I have had in the past. Both the day and night creams combined are cheaper than some of the higher end brands I have had in the past and they seem to work better for my skin again though I just need to get into the routine of using them daily again as I think my skin is definitely going to benefit from using them a lot more. 

This T-Zone spot zapping gel is another new purchase that I need to use a lot more before I can properly judge it. Again this another pound shop purchase and I honestly got this due to my experiences with T-Zone products in the past as when I have used them they have done my skin wonders and cleared up 99% of my spots, I just hope this one is going to work as well for me as those ones before have as it is needed.  

I have used the same face wash for years now and honestly I don't know if I am going to end up switching it for something new or not. My skin seems to like this face wash but I aren't sure if its stopping working lately as my skin has got used to it due to how long I have used it for. This Simple face wash is definitely the nicest to my sensitive skin so if I can find something similar to switch it with that would be great. 

My mum  recently give me this anti-redness cream that wasn't working for her and I am hoping it does work for me. I have heard good things about La Roche-Posay  so fingers crossed it does work for me as I have started to notice a few red patches appearing on my face lately and that isn't just the sunburn I caught the other week on those two sunny days. 

On a night I am still using the Freederm overnight clearing serum which when I do keep on top of using it regularly really works and it helps reduce the blemishes over a short space of time however, I have been useless at remembering it recently so it hasn't had the desired effect. If I can start remembering to use this again I could end up clearing up all my problems a lot sooner.

Finally a new addition that I am definitely going to be using practically daily to save myself from being burnt as often as I am lately. I seem to attract the sun far too much so I am going to start adding some suncream with a decent SPF into my skincare to hopefully stop me getting burnt so easily. the sunburn definitely isn't helping my skin condition so it is time to finally sort that out. 

I really do need to start making a lot more time on a morning and an evening to make sure I am really making the most out of these products and getting on track with getting my skin back into a good condition at long last. I have a plan for this so keep an eye on the blog over the next few weeks to see something I am planning on doing to try make my skincare routine stick. What skincare products do you like to use?