Boots series #2 No7 skincare - my picks | Ayesha

You know sometimes Boots do an offer where you can get £5 off No7 skincare and £3 off their makeup? Sometimes I wish they did this voucher for other brands too - but hey ho. I enjoy £5 off their skincare, because I think their skincare is very good. 

My skin is combination: dry cheeks and an oily T-zone. My skin is also a little bit dehydrated but I am trialling a product by Kiehls (blog post coming soon!) to target that dehydration. On my right cheek, I used to suffer from something that I am unsure what it was but it resembled scales (as in a dragon or a fish or something) and no matter how much cream I applied, the scales wouldn't go away! I am slightly digressing so I will do another blog post on how I de-scaled myself.

Here is my current line-up of No7 skincare products.

Now, my most favourite No7 product is the radiance exfoliator (on the right). It actually does what it says on the tin. After using this, my skin looked so much brighter! It literally transformed. It doesn't have too many beads in it, so it is less harsh than some other scrubs out there, but nevertheless does a good job. I tend to use this every 3 days or so. 

The cleansing lotion (middle) is great at removing all traces of face makeup, but I haven't used it on eye makeup. I'm a bit unsure about whether or not to so I decided against the risk. It leaves me skin feeling clean and soft, without a hint of tightness. Some cleansers are very harsh and strip your skin of its natural oils, hence the tight feeling, so this one is a lovely choice to go for. 

Finally the toner (left). I do like this toner to make sure every last trace of makeup has gone from my face. Despite liking it, I don't see the point of toners in general. I have heard lots about them and how they get your skin "ready" for moisturisation but I've not noticed any difference! Oh well. 

Here's a cuteness break as this is a bit of a wordy post! I love owls, and baby ones in particular. In fact, babies and mini things in general.

image from pinterest

In the past I have tried their eye make-up remover which is a good dupe for Lancome's Bi-Facil remover. It felt very gentle and removed all traces of makeup. It is also oil-based and does leave an oily residue, but I quite like this feeling of extra moisturisation!

I have also used the essential moisture moisturiser which melted into my skin and lasted a long time. It is quite a rich cream so it would definitely suit drier skin times, without making your skin look shiny.

Lastly, and I almost forgot about this, I have also used their hot cloth cleanser. Now, I've not tried the Liz Earle version to compare, but this one is lovely and even comes with its own muslin cloth. The most noticeable thing, like the cleansing lotion mentioned above, is that it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight as some cleansers usually have in the past. 



Hope you found this useful! Let me know in the comments what you use your No7 vouchers for!

How I look after my skin ¦ Ayesha

I have invested a lot of time and effort to making sure my skin looks at its best. I don't like to wear foundation and I personally think if you have good skin, make-up should just enhance it rather than cover it up or change how you look completely. This is not to say that I am religious over taking care of my skin, but rather I do what I can whenever I can. Experts say you should cleanse, tone, moisturise, face mask once a week and exfoliate 3-4 times a week but honestly, I tried that and it dried out my skin like anything. You could argue that I wasn't using the right products, and maybe I wasn't, but that doesn't change the fact that I believe you can still have good skin without doing it. The French apparently wash their faces with cold water morning and evening and then put moisturiser on!

So, here's what I do.

Morning: Wash my face with cold water, moisturise.

Evening: Use a face wash, moisturise. 

Twice a week: Face mask and microdermabrasion scrub. I use this one:

Image from The Body Shop

That's it.

I have also made changes to my diet and lifestyle which have also contributed to better looking skin. 

Supplements. I take a multi-vitamin supplement which also has iron. This has worked wonders for my under-eye bags as they were quite dark before, no matter what I did. I highly recommend taking more vitamins! 

Using a less harsh makeup remover. I am now using almond/coconut oil to remove my eye makeup. I find that I am rubbing my eyes less as the oil just breaks down the makeup for me. It's so much more gentle and has resulted in less bruising of my eyes.

Drinking more water. Water is so important. It keeps you awake more than caffeine, makes your skin look more plump, and in general is very, very good for you.

Cutting out excess sugar. Now, I still eat cakes and chocolate. However, I've stopped putting sugar in my tea which has also made me drink less tea. I still have up to 2 cups a day - perhaps one coffee and one tea - but I opt for a sweetener or honey instead of sugar. It does the same job but sugar spikes up your blood sugar level almost immediately and can contribute to dull skin. Natural sugars, albeit are still sugars, release more slowly so you don't have a 'crash and burn' effect. Your diet shows in your skin.

Generally eating a lot more healthily. Since living with my husband, I have been eating a salad with dinner every single day. Vegetables are amazing for your skin (even more than fruit because fruit is very high in sugar), so definitely increase them. It helps you feel fuller too so you don't have a chance to over-indulge in bad things.

Exercise daily. Even if it is for a brisk half hour walk, it will do wonders to your skin. Exercise releases a chemical called serotonin which makes you feel happy and well, and when you are happy you have a natural glow to your skin anyway. I don't know the science behind this bit but if you exercise more and sweat more, you end up with more dead skin which you have to exfoliate away more regularly than twice a week. This means your skin has less build-up and clogging up of your pores so your skin is clearer. Also, because of the exercise, you are drinking more water to replace lost fluids from sweating. Exercise is amazing!

I know the lifestyle tips might be more difficult than the cosmetic tips; it did take me a a year to adjust to this new 'conscious' way of eating. You can still eat junk food but in moderation. Good skin and healthy living aren't just a temporary thing, you have to work at it and it can be achieved by making really small changes. If you look after your skin, your skin will look after you!

How do you take care of your skin?

The most amazing moisturiser I have ever tried ¦ Ayesha

I have been through a LOT of moisturisers. I have been reading a lot about whether you should pay more for a moisturiser, as some people (e.g. Caroline Hirons, check out her blog!) say you get what you pay for with a moisturiser. I'm not sure I believe this as yet, I am too afraid to fork out £300 for a moisturiser that claims it can make me stay looking youthful until well in my 60s. Hmm. 

So anyway, I was browsing in Boots the other day when I discovered a new range by Indeed Labs. One called 'Hydraluron' caught my eye, and in particular, the one called moisture jelly. I have read a lot of reviews about this brand so I was keen to try it out. Full price it is £24.99, but there was an offer for £16.66. This is still expensive in my eyes but I wanted to try it anyway. 

I am IMPRESSED. 

My skin is normal to dry, but my cheeks are driest in particular. I have been using a concentrated Vitamin C serum from the Body Shop to target the scaly dry patch on my right cheek in particular, which works well, but using this cream has meant I have not had to touch up at all. I applied it once yesterday and my skin felt hydrated and smooth ALL day up until I washed it in the evening. 

It's a bit new fangled, I didn't know how to apply it at first. I was shaking it upside down before I realised you have to push the white bit down to release the jelly. The amount you see here is enough for your whole face so a little goes a long way, which is good for longevity. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product if you have similar skin to mine. I am still yet to find an amazing moisturiser as this one in a cheaper price bracket, but at least I'm not paying an extortionate amount for this. 

Which moisturiser do you use?

A speedy skin saviour for spots | Ayesha

Don't be fooled by this product's medicinal-looking exterior, or put off by the fact that it's traditionally used as a baby nappy rash cream. Sudocrem is probably my favourite skin cream as it has a multitude of multi-tasking properties. 

When I was about 10 I suffered from acne. It continued for about 2 years until my mum suggested I put Sudocrem on my face every night and every morning. Honestly, my face cleared up in about 3 days. To this day, if I get any spots or blemishes on my skin, I use Sudocrem and after 2-3 days they are gone!

*I'm not saying Sudocrem will work for everyone. Sometimes acne is caused by hormonal issues so you will need to speak to your GP. This works as a treatment for sporadic spots you may get or in my case, acne you may experience as a teenager - try it and see if it works for you!* 

As it says on the tin, it's also good for minor burns, sunburn, itchiness, small wounds, basically any kind of skin or medical need you may have, it's great. I don't own any other antiseptic cream at home so if I have a cut, I just apply this and it does a great job. You only need a touch - it explicitly states to apply a thin layer - and the job is done. You can keep reapplying throughout the day if necessary.

You can get this at almost all supermarkets and chemists, I actually bought mine from a cheap £2 type shop in Coventry (The Foleshill Warehouse - it's not a pound shop, but the prices don't stray too far from it) and its very cheap considering how long it'll last you, about £2.50. 

Enjoy!