Showing posts with label routine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label routine. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 December 2015

My Hydrating Winter Skincare Routine

Ok. I'm sensing a pattern here. All I seem to blog about recently is lipstick and skincare products. I'm sorry. I'll try harder. I promise. Maybe. But seriously, I have found some incredible products that have been keeping my skin nice and hydrated recently! I made a similar post exactly a year ago (plz don't go back and read it, my old posts are so embarrassing!), and with winter fast approaching, many people battle with the elements, central heating, and various other things! As it starts to get colder (why is it so cold?!), it is extremely important to adjust your skincare routine so that your skin is properly looked after. Winter calls for extra layers of moisture and protection so I've rounded up everything that fits the bill and have been slapping it on my face until I can't take any more! 
I know what you all want me to talk about first, so I will... The new Magnitone The Full Monty Skincare Brush* has been incredible for my skin this winter! It has left my skin so smooth, and I honestly think that it has been the most beneficial to my skin out of everything mentioned in this post. I've been using it once a day (in the evening) to remove all the grime and makeup from my face and I have noticed a visible difference in my skin's texture. It hasn't really done anything to calm down my spots, but my skin looks a lot more 'clean' - if that makes sense? It gently exfoliates and tones whilst removing dirt and impurities and serums and moisturisers soak in so much easier! The other day it ran out of charge for the first time so I had to manually cleanse my face, and I was shocked at how much difference it actually made! 

Alongside my Magnitone, I have been using the Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm* to remove the bulk of my makeup. I've never tried anything from Merumaya before, but this cleanser is fab at taking my makeup of quickly! I don't use this with my Magnitone out of personal preference, and I just massage it in and use one of the Liz Earle muslin cloths to wipe everything away. The cleanser is very rich and silky, perfect for those with drier skin or those just wanting something that can get makeup off easily. It cleanses the skin very well, and doesn't leave a greasy/waxy residue like some cleansing balms can. You apply it dry skin, add a splash of water and it turns into more of an oil. After I've used it to take all my makeup off (sometimes I use it twice if I have heavier makeup on), I follow up with the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser. I've recently mentioned that it is 'saving my skin' and it still is! I have a bit of a breakout at the moment, but I've had a lot of sleepless nights and deadlines have been stressing me out so I can understand why. I've been using this both morning and night and it is incredibly soothing and calming on blemishes. The manuka honey acts as an antibacterial and is perfect for reducing the size of nasty blemishes. I wouldn't really describe it as 'creamy', as it is more of a rich lotion formula and I think this is perfect for winter. It contains mostly natural ingredients and I think this would be perfect for most skin types - however the brand do advise against those with bee/wasp sting allergies to stay well clear of this particular range of products! 

After I've finished cleansing, I move onto the toning stage of my routine. I've fairly recently got my hands on the Pixi Glow Tonic after it being so hard to get hold of and this stuff is literally like gold dust! It leaves your face so glowy and isn't too harsh at all! It is classed as an acid toner as it contains a mild concentration (5%) of glycolic acid. It is so gentle that it can be used twice a day and usually I do, but sometimes if my skin looks a bit aggravated I switch it up for the Liz Earle Skin Boost Tonic as it is more soothing. After toning I follow up with a serum and I'm not usually one for serums, but the Salcura Bioskin Dermaserum* has performed miracles on any dry patches! They have recently relaunched and reformulated their products and they are specifically formulated for those with sensitive and dry skin conditions such as Eczema and Psoriasis. And even though I have neither, I have found the serum incredibly hydrating in the cooler weather! 

After the serum I usually go in with something like tea tree oil or Sudocrem and apply it directly to blemishes to reduce any swelling and calm them slightly by morning. I don't always apply something and I mainly only use it on spots that look a bit more red and angry. I then follow up with the Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for normal/combination skin. Although a little more on the expensive side of things, it really agrees with my skin, and acts as a perfect base for makeup! Plus the tub lasts forever as well! It is such a lightweight formula and absorbs into the skin straight away, leaving your skin feeling nourished, hydrated and thoroughly pampered. 

Talking about pampering! A couple of times a week I use a face mask as a real treat for my skin, and the only one I've really been using recently is the Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask. Ok it doesn't really do much in terms of hydrating but it certainly doesn't dry out your skin, and boy does it leave your skin radiant! Plus for only £7.99 you can't really go wrong!

And that's it! Sorry this post has been so long - major brownie points to those that read through to the end! 
What one skincare product could you not live without?
Thanks for reading!
Love Charlotte x

_________________________

The Magnitone Full Monty Skincare Brush (RRP £130), the Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm (RRP £15.50), and the Salcura Bioskin Dermaserum (RRP £11.99) were each kindly sent to me by Magnitone, Merumaya and Salcura Skin Therapy for the purpose of a review. All thoughts are my own and you can read my full disclaimer policy here
SHARE:

Sunday, 13 September 2015

My Blogging Game and How I'm Upping It

Hi Friends! Until the start of August, I was having a little bit of a blogging slump. We all have them from time to time. We just fall out of love with blogging and it often feels like we are never going to enjoy it again. Now I am by no means an expert, or a 'professional' blogger, but I'd thought I'd share with you the things I'm trying to do to up my blogging game. 

Routine
I have been making quite a few changes to how I run my blog and during August, my stats were through the roof! The thing that I feel has helped the most is that I have started to follow a proper blogging schedule. For the last year or so, I have published once or twice a week but with no set days or times. Since coming up with a schedule and actually sticking to it, people know when to expect new content and will head over when the have a spare moment. Before I didn't see how this would make a difference to my stats, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much it did! 

Photos
I'm very much a visual person, so photography is one of the most important things. One of the main reasons I click on a blog post is because of its photography. I've always received such lovely feedback from you all when it comes to my photography. But I was beginning to feel a bit bored of my usual flat lays. So I've been mixing it up lately and varying my shots with different angles and compositions. And as far as I can tell you're liking it!

Social media
Over the last month, I have been spending a lot more time promoting my blog posts on social media. When I first starting blogging I was terrified of sharing my blog posts incase friends found out and made fun of me. But, now I've got to the point where don't care who knows! I've recently made a Facebook page and I've got into sharing my blogs images on Pinterest. This has really helped me share my posts with so many more people and another thing that I think has had a big impact on my stats. 

Forward planning
I'm a big one for planning and organisation. And when it comes to my blog I am no different. I like to plan my blog posts well in advance. The lovely Rhianna of Robowecop recently shared how she keeps organised with blogging and she noted that she uses a spreadsheet to keep track of her posts. I'd never thought of doing this and since starting, I have found it so much easier to know what I have to do to get a post out. 

Using my stats
Using my stats to find which posts work best has helped me understand which of my posts are most popular with my readers. Since doing this I have had 4 (I know, I can't believe it either!) consecutive posts on the Bloglovin popular page under the beauty category and they were all up their for over a week!

Thanks for reading!
Love Charlotte x

SHARE:
© Charlotte Sophia Roberts. All rights reserved.
Blogger Templates by pipdig