Good Afternoon everyone!
Today I am SUPER tired… I've been getting a little carried away the last few nights whilst reading my book and completely loose track of time. I get into bed at about 10, and before I know it its 1am… Anyone else been doing that lately?
I don’t think it helps that I’ve been reading some really great books that I just CAN’T put down! My lockdown reads so far have been ‘Heart And Hustle’ by Patricia Bright (for the 3rd time, I just can’t get enough of that book), as well as ‘My Blogging Secrets’ by Amber Mcnaught- one of my favourite Bloggers, and ‘The Million Dollar Blog’ by Natasha Courtenay-Smith. These two books were actually what inspired me to get back into Blogging during lockdown, and I HIGHLY recommend these books to any of my fellow Bloggers who are currently reading from Twitter. If you don’t learn at least one new thing from these books on how to improve your Blog then I will be very surprised! I only really got back into Blogging a few weeks ago, and I’m already seeing more views on my new Blog then I did from my previous Blog which I was working on for 3 Years! It’s crazy how much a book can teach you.
For my fellow Animal Activists and Animal lovers, I have also been reading some truly amazing books which you may also enjoy. These are ‘Eating Amimals – Should We Stop?’ by Jonathan Safran Foer and ‘Animal Liberation’ by Peter Singer. Both of these books seem to be intended for a meat eating audience, however I can imagine that it’s Key Audience is mostly Vegetarians/Vegans due to the fact that we are more interested in these topics. I have been a Vegetarian since I was about 6, and from a very young age my Mum, who is also a Vegetarian, bought me up being very honest about what Meat was and where it really came from.
Even though I already know a lot about the industry, these books made me realise that there was a lot more to it than I ever though there was, and has really opened my eyes to just how gruesome the farming industry can be! If you’re interested in learning more about this then I would highly recommend reading both of these books. It is so important that we educate ourselves on what Factory Farming really is, and what really happens to the meat that so many of us consume.
My next read will be ‘Minimal’ by Madeline Olivia – One of my favourite Youtubers, which is a Non-Fiction book all about sustainable and minimal living. This is something that I’ve wanted to learn a lot more about since lockdown started, so once I’ve finished ir, I’ll let you guys know what it’s like!
If you guys have any good books, Fiction or Non-Fiction, that you’ve been reading during Lockdown that you think are really good then drop them in the comments below as I’m always looking for new books to read!
Anyway, moving on from reading, for those of you who aren’t into books, another thing I wanted to talk about today was my lockdown beauty routine. I’ve found myself taking much better care of myself lately due to having much more time to do so. Because of this, I wanted to share with you my current beauty routine, and what products I’ve been using.
Before I start this post, I just want to make it clear that I am not being paid to promote any of these products (although that would be cool right?) So my opinions on these products are completely truthful and unbiased!
Even though I have found a pretty good routine that works well for me, if anyone has any other products they’d like to recommend then please feel free to recommend them below!
So starting off with the treatments I do a couple of days a week:
Hair Washing-
I aim to wash my hair 2-3 times a week max, as we all know that washing our hair too much really isn’t good for it. I ALWAYS shampoo twice, I have been doing this for about a year now and it has been life changing. It really gives the hair a good deep clean, and ensures you wash any excess dirt out. I am currently using the Aussie Scentsational Smooth Shampoo because It smells SO GOOD! But when I’m not using this I usually use the OGX Ever Straight Keratin shampoo, just because it really nourishes my long, and very damaged hair! I then usually apply my conditioner and leave it in for about 10 minutes to really hydrate my hair (I’m currently using the Aussie Scentsational Smooth Shampoo. (but again I sometimes use the OGX Everstraight Keratin Conditioner)
Hair Treatment-
As I have more time on my hands, I apply a hair mask to my hair once a week to help reduce the appearance of my split ends and to add some extra shine. It also makes your hair feel super healthy! I am currently using the Soap and Glory Wonditioner and leave this in for about an hour before rinsing with Luke-Warm water. If you are looking to decrease hair damage, washing your hair with slightly cooler water is much better, as the heat from warm water can cause extra damage and dehydration of the scalp.
Shower-
I have a quick shower pretty much everyday (as do most normal people I guess) However if I’m feeling super lazy I will skip a day – Don’t act like you never have! When I shower I always use the Soap and Glory clean on me Body wash. I am a HUGE lover of the Soap and Glory brand as they are cruelty free, and find that this body wash not only nourishes the skin and keeps it hydrated, but also helps to reduce any body acne you get. If you suffer from Back or chest Acne I highly recommend using this!
Every other shower, I will then follow this up with the Soap and Glory Summer Scrubbin’ Body Scrub. This body Scrub smells absolutely INSANE and leaves my skin feeling so smooth. I also use this scrub before I fake tan, focusing especially on the knees, Elbows and Chest to remove any dead skin cells to ensure I get a nice even tan all over.
Last but not least, when I shower I also shave 1-2 times a week. Of course ladies it is pretty self explanatory how you do this , however just a little tip… when you shave ALWAYS rinse with cold water. This closes up any pores that have been opened whilst shaving. If you don’t already I also recommend using a shaving foam for an even shave and to reduce razor rash. I am currently using the Gillette Satin Care shaving cream which is super cheap but super effective.
Post Shower-
Tanning –
If I am tanning I either use the Dove summer revived cream, or the Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning milk. Instant tans never work for me personally, and I end up looking super orange, so I prefer to use gradual moisturisers. Both of these give a really natural glow and you can make them as dark as you want by applying multiple applications until you reach your desired level of tan. They may take a little extra time, but I think it’s worth it for the natural finish they give.
Moisturising-
If I’m not tanning I always tie my hair out of the way and moisturise straight after my shower, especially after shaving. I’m currently using the Soap and Glory 'The Righteous Butter' Moisturiser as it smells amazing. However I am running out, so I will probably replace this with my favourite Mango Body Yoghurt from the Body Shop fairly shortly. I always find that if I don’t moisturise, my skin gets very dry very quickly, so don’t miss this out!
Hair –
After either tanning or moisturising I then add treatment to my hair. If I haven’t done a hair mask I will always add Argan Oil. Sometimes I will plait my hair and leave it over night for naural waves, however if I don’t have time for this, I usually add Argan Oil and a heat Protector (I am currently using the Boots Style works Heat protect spray – Which is really cheap but really good) and then blow dry my hair at a low heat. I am also having a huge obsession with curling my hair at the moment – I go through my phases! So if I know I’m going to be curling my hair after blow drying I will apply a little extra heat protector.
Feet-
Every time I shower, I exfoliate my feet to keep them smooth, but I also moisturise my feet a few times a week using the Soap and Glory Heel Genius Food Cream and leave it on overnight. Make sure you look after your Feet, they work hard!
Skin Care-
If you know me personally, you will know my OBSESSION for good skin care. I think I drive my boyfriend insane the amount of times I tell him off for using body wash on his face! Whilst I’ve never suffered from severe acne, I did use to (and still do occasionally) suffer from bad skin. But Guess what- last year I finally found something that worked for me!
I came across a company called Tropic as it was recommended to me by my sister. At this point my skin was really bad and I had tried everything from cutting certain foods out, drinking litres upon litres of water and even putting toothpaste on my skin (gross). I didn’t really have a lot to lose, so I thought I’d do a little research to see what this company was about. I was really impressed by what found out!
Tropic is a UK based company Founded by Susie Ma who grew up in Australia and from her childhood there, put together a skincare brand based on the fresh and exotic ingredients that she grew up around. All of Tropics products are Natural and freshly made, meaning that they smell AMAZING! They are also a Cruelty free and vegan brand, meaning that one of their products are not tested on animals and don’t contain any animal products. Because of this, I thought I may as well give it a try
I started out by buying the Smoothing Cleanser Complexion purifier (£16.00) and the Vitamin Toner Pore Refining Mist (£14.00) and I was not disappointed at all. The products came within a week and were beautifully packaged; they even came with a free bamboo face cloth.
After only a week and a half, my skin was feeling and looking the healthiest it has ever been, and i could already see my skin clearing dramatically. I have been using these for a good 6 months now, and have only had to re-stock once. Considering I use both of these products twice a day, I can’t complain at all.
About 2 months ago, I decided to start using the ‘Skin-Feast’ Moisturiser once a day, and since using this my skin has had a much better glow and has felt so hydrated.
I also use the Tropic ‘Clear Skin’ Face mask once a week, which does a fantastic job at preventing any outbreaks!
Having suffered from bad breakouts along my jaw line for years, and constantly trying hundreds of different products, I was so relived to have finally found something that ACTUALLY works and is cost effective. If like me, you have very oily skin and suffer with mild spots on your chin and jawline then I would 100% recommend trying out these products! Due to Acne towards the lower part of your face being mainly caused by hormones, I do still have a few days where I will get breakouts from time to time (you know how it is sometimes) but on a whole, this brand completely transformed my skin!
Unfortunately, I don’t feel comfortable publicising my Before and After pictures, only because my before pictures are pretty gross, but if you’re keen to see them, and see just how much these products improved my skin, then please message me directly on Instagram - @Collettes_Lifestyle_Blog and I would be happy to share with you!
That’s pretty much it! My routine isn’t that complex, but it does leave me feeling super pampered and refreshed. As I said above, if you have any good product recommendations then please comment below as I’m always looking to try new things!
Let me know if you give any of these products a try/ already use any of these as I would love to hear your thoughts!
I hope you have a lovely rest of your day, and I will see you again soon!
Lots of Love
Collette x