May 2013 Favourites

Favourites videos are really just an opportunity to take a peek at the beauty stash of other beauty and skincare enthusiasts. You get a chance to see what products deliver what they promise, or what products are worth their price as well as hear how its being used.

Though I'm pretty late on the train, putting a video up in the middle of June, I was excited to share with you guys some of the products I've purchased or re-discovered lately that I have just been falling in love with. There are two or three products that I've been loving that weren't included in my faves because they deserve their own rave review and you can expect those pretty soon.

In the meantime, grab a a cup of water, sit back, relax and enjoy:

I would love to hear what your favourites are for the Month of May, so leave me a comment below and I will be sure to check out your recommendations.

Till later,
**Jane

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September Favourites

Very simple concept - these are products and things I've been liking for September. They do what they say and they don't disappoint - value for money! 

Just click play!

1. Milani Eyeshadows in Rich Chocolate and Sun Goddess (purchased from Beauty Concept)
2. Loreal True Match blush in Rose 
3. Revlon Colorburst Lip butter in raspberry Pie ( Discount Pharmacy in Manor Park)
4. Jewellery - Bow and chain bangles (Kabellas in Little Premier Plaza); Faux Snakeskin bangle ( Bryan's Jewellery and More - City Centre Mall, Montego Bay; Silver bangle - Claire's
5. Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain and Balm in Frenzy ( Discount Pharmacy in Manor Park)
6. Jordana nail colour in Burnt Sugar ( Oaklands Pharmacy)
7. Simple Moisturizer (New Kingston Shopping Centre)
8. Mane + Tail Shampoo (Brooklyn Supermarket)
9. Sterling silver mosaic butterfly ring - old
10. Barrel Brush ( Discount Beauty Centre - Kings Plaza)
11. Loreal Go 360 Cleanser (Mega Mart - Kingston)
12. Suave 24hr Antiperspirant  in powder fresh (Mega Mart - Kingston)
13. Henkel Glitter Glue (Sangsters - Springs Plaza)
14. Zebra print ballet flat - American Eagle (Payless)
15. Kindle Books (see my post here
16. Youtube favourites Judy & Benji and Anna & Jofus

Comments give me a happy! 
What were your favourites for September?

Till later,
Jane

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Skin Care Routine

No, I won't claim to be a demi-dermatologist and declare that X potion and Y serum will get you the best skin of your life but I do know what works for me, and I know this because when I do slack off I see the repercussions on my face in the mirror in the morning. 

Simply put, routines work and to get the actual best skin of your life you need to find one that works for you and stick with it until the day you die. Or at least, until you find something better.

Firstly, figure out what kind of skin you have - best bet for this is to wash your face with water in the morning and at the end of the day determine whether your skin is dry (then you have dry skin); oily (then you have oily skin); or combination (dry in some areas, oily in others). And please for the love of all things sane, do not confuse oil with sweat - they are NOT the same thing.

Alright then, when you're done with that you will need to get products that will 'solve' your problem or at least control it. I have combination skin, and I get breakouts when I am stressed or when its my time of the month. I also tend to get breakouts if I am dehydrated or I have consumed extra sugar, or as gross as it sounds - I forget or am neglectful of my skin post-workout. 

For make-up removal I use baby wipes, or makeup remover wipes from either Neutrogena or Simple. For nights when I go heavy on my eye makeup with dark colours I will also use Ponds Cold Cream to get off the makeup or Neutrogena Eye Makeup remover in liquid form
.

For a cleanser I use the St. Ives Green Tea Cleansing Face Wash, or the Loreal 360 face wash for Combination Skin or Normal Skin. I make sure my face wash has salicyclic acid to help control any pimples. If my breakout is bad I will get maybe four pimples on my entire face. I wont pretend to be one of those kids in a proactiv ad , it does not get that bad for me. So if you have hard core acne issues, see a dermatologist. For my cleansing routine I wet my face with water, and then wet the Loreal 360 scrublet (heaven-sent  I tell you!) and pump out a dollop of face wash, apply to my cheeks, forehead and chin and then rub in gently with the scrublet. Then I rinse.

For toning and acne control, I will alternate between using rose water with witch hazel and the Clean and Clear Astringent for sensitive skin. I use the one for sensitive skin because my skin is dry in some places and astringent can dry out your skin because of the alcohol it contains. I pour some onto a cotton ball or pad and swipe over my face and neck and behind my ears. (For girls with hair long enough to grow past your ears its important not to neglect that part of your body because oils and dirt can get trapped there).

Moisturizing is the quickest part of the routine, and by far the one I have to convince myself to do because I constantly forget it. I let my skin air dry - I think its a happy compromise between the schools of thought that you should pat not rub so you don't draw your skin and get wrinkles, and the other school of thought that you should rub your skin dry in an upward motion to fight gravity. I use the Oil of Olay Complete moisturizer with SPF for daytime and at night I will alternate between using tea tree oil and Oil of Olay Night Effects Night Cream. The tea tree oil moisturizes and gets rid of any bacteria that might be on my skin, and the night cream moisturizes and fights wrinkles.

My eye cream is a recent addition to my routine since I hit my twenties. My family seems to get wrinkles and crepey lids and I prefer to prolong that as much as possible because my eyes are by far my favourite feature.I use the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream. 

And that's it! When I have a particularly stubborn pimple I will use queen helene clay mask to dry it out along with tea tree oil. I don't really do facials unless I am supremely bored or I convince myself to spend money at a spa. I don't pick my pimples, instead I try to wait it out and dry it out, and 9 times out of ten it goes away without leaving a mark.

Drinking lots of water keeps skin issues at bay. if you're having a particularly rough time with acne though, it's important to see a dermatologist to see if prescription strength medicine will be your answer. 

Till next time,
Jane

PS- let me know if you want a video to see exactly what my skin care routine is. I will be happy to post!

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The No-Heat Thirty-Day Challenge

Ever heard that heat styling super-dries out your hair and contributes to split ends and brittle hair? Follow me on my thirty day journey as I avoid all forms of heat styling.

I'm curious to find out whether heat styling does indeed affect your hair, and if avoiding it makes your hair stronger. This is what my hair looks like now, having washed and set it last night and allowing it to air dry.

I had it highlighted over Christmas, and as it grows out, I expect the shaft of my hair to get dryer, as it would with an all-over colour, and I am trying to avoid the brittleness that accompanies growing out permanent colour. I will do a post on what else I am doing to combat the expected breakage at a later time.

Join me in this no heat challenge and see what effect it will have on your head of hair! I'll be doing updates every five days and keep you guys in the loop. At the end of the thirty days I will do a vlog on youtube  discussing my experience.

Till later,
Jane

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