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?

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. 

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... 

On the days that I don't fancy using my foaming cleanser I use this Simple charcoal cleansing stick. This is a fairly new purchase from the pound shop of all places and so far it is going OK with this product. I am still getting used to this product but I think if I give it a bit longer I could end up really liking it and get plenty of benefits from it. I think I am just struggling as I am not used to using a cleanser that isn't a foam. 

Wow it is only the 2nd of March and I am already posting my favourites, this must be a first. Honestly I haven't tried much new in February but some great things have happened. 

First off a favourite of mine is the Nip Fab cleansing pads. I have used them everyday in Feb and am seriously noticing a difference in my skin. I aren't going into too much detail on these though as I have a whole post dedicated to this coming very soon.

The Vo5 is once again one of my favourites. It is my sisters engagement party on the 11th of March and I have been trying to leave my hair to grow so I can get it cut just before. This has meant the side that gets shaved has now become a very fluffy mess. The Vo5 however actually does calm it down just a little.

The L'Oreal men's expert tattoo reviving moisturiser is another I won't go into too much detail on however I love it. I use it daily, it is bringing out the colour in my tattoos and also leaving my skin super soft.

I have also gotten back into reading in February. The book I am currently on is Bruce Springsteen - born to run. I aren't very far but so far so good.

February was also a big month as I got to see Tegan and Sara twice. This meant getting to see my little Tegan and Sara family again which couldn't get better. The first show I was lucky enough to get meet and greet tickets for so I was over the moon as you can see in my previous post. The shows were amazing and the company was awesome. I was also lucky enough to meet Ria Mae and Alex Lahey at both shows. I am in love with all their music now so that is an extra bonus.

My final favourite of the month is this Brewdog IPA called Elvis Juice. I first had this to settle my nerves before meeting Tegan and Sara. I can honestly say I am hooked. This one is tastes just like grapefruit.

So there you have it those are just a few of my favourite things from February.

This week I have.

Been watching : I have finally finished Archer but I am now working my way through Bojack Horseman.

Been reading : This has just been the Playstation and Xbox magazines. As part of my new routine I am hoping to start reading on a night.

Been playing : Call of Duty has been what I have started playing through. I can't wait to start playing through this more and more.

Been listening to : Lucy Spraggan has been top of my playlist lately and I can't get enough of her.

Bought : There is far too much, check out my previous haul posts to see what I have been buying.




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