Beauty | My Pregnancy Skincare Routine

Hello there! Hope everyone is having/had a fab January! Thank goodness it's almost over though, it's definitely one of those months that just seems to last forever, and when you have animals and horses it is one of the worst months there just seems to be rain, mud and grey skies everywhere. Oh and wind no one likes that thing either. Hurry up spring, you are very much wanted now.

I thought I would do a post on my pregnancy skincare routine. Can't lie, to some of you it might be rather simple and boring but I've found since being pregnant this so called 'pregnancy glow' does not exist or is still trying to find me! I've not had an easy pregnancy, can't say I'm enjoying it either but I know the end goal will be worth it!

Instead of this so called glowing skin I seem to have found dry, spotty skin. Thanks little thing in my belly I hope your glowing inside there! Firstly the majority of my pregnancy has been spent either being sick or feeling sick so a skincare routine has not always been at the top of my list, but seen as they go on about how you should look after yourself when your pregnant I have been trying harder recently. Also don't want to scare the little thing when he pops out my belly and see's a scary looking mum so thought I should try and improve the look for him a bit.

I've found my skin has become super sensitive in this pregnancy, it seems to react to everything. The joys of hormones hey! I've tried sticking to fairly basic products that don't seem to make me look worse. I'm also using the products my mum has been using since forever because thought I should probably take more of the mum approach now, plus she seems to have great skin in her late 40's so something must be working.

The first product I have been using is No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing lotion. I have this one in the normal/dry version which is also hypo-allergenic. I use my cleansing lotion as my first step of my skincare routine. Sorry I have no fancy new unused bottle to take a picture of, thought a half used one is more of a reality. This product seems to work great at removing all of my daily grub off my face, and it's nice and gentle to. The other plus is that it doesn't really smell of much which is great as those pregnancy hormones make everything smell like rubbish and make those gag reflexes kick in so this has definitely been one of my go to products. It's easy to use too just put a blob on one of those round pad things (names gone silly baby brain) rub round your face gently and jobs done! I try and use this morning and night but the reality is that once a day is a bonus and it seems to help calm down my face and make me feel better.

The second product I use in my skincare routine is the No7 Soft and Soothed  Gentle Toner. This one is also hypo-allergenic. Again apologise for no fancy unused bottle but again thats not always the reality plus life is hectic getting ready for the new arrival. I use this after the cleansing lotion and it really helps to soothe my skin and makes me feel refreshed. The other great thing about this is that it also does not have a strong smell if any smell which is a big bonus if your pregnant. Those smelly products just don't smell nice at the moment. 

The final product I use in my skincare routine is the No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream. Again this is also hypo-allergenic and this has the added bonus of also having SPF 15 in it. Remember you should also put on some sun protection even when it's dull and cloudy. Apparently your skin will thank you in years to come but can't give you my opinion on that seen as I only have 22yr old skin at the moment. I love this moisturiser as it is nice and thick and as my skin seems to have gone lovely and dry (thanks again pregnancy hormones) it helps to put the moisture back in my face and makes it feel all lovely and smooth again. 

This blog post photo is a Robin one today as he was feeling in the mood to pose for the camera and well you can't say no to those eyes! 

Hope you are all well and jolly :)

Anna-Louise

xx

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Beauty | Current skincare routine

Hello there :) 

How is everyone today? Hope all is fine and dandy and that you are all having a lovely jubbly week :)

We have now had 3 days of proper sunshine here, so Spring definitely feels like it's on it's way at last which is super exciting because Spring and Summer are my favourite seasons and I love the sun it just puts me in such a happy mood and the sun just looks so friendly and happy too, not that I look directly at it, never do that! I just always think of the sun having a happy face with a big cheesy grin and that it looks a bit like the lion. I don't know about you guys but I don't actually know that many facts about the sun, maybe I need to learn some and do some investigating about them. 

Also what do people think of dungarees? There are loads in the shops at the moment which I am super excited about because I love them, but would love to know what you guys think of them! Dungarees always remind me of the countryside. 

Anyway enough of my rambling now, let's talk about what this post is going to be all about. Now I'm sure all of you have your own skincare routines there will be products that you love and products that you hate. I love reading about people's skincare routines as it's a great way to find out about some great products and well I find it interesting finding out what works for people and what doesn't and I have also found some great skincare tips from posts like these so who knows maybe you might take some useful away from this post, even if it is only the bit about Barney at the end of the post. 

(from left to right: Cleanser, Exfoliator, moisturiser, eye cream, moisturising treatment mask, 8hr cream)

Now I never really used to be into skincare, but then I never really used to be into makeup either. Anyway because I never used to be interested in it I didn't really care so didn't have a skincare routine. (I was also just lazy shh) Anyway all I used to use was a face wipe and moisturiser when I could be bothered. My poor skin I know, I feel so guilty for not giving it more TLC sooner. Anyway since I now care more about my skin, I do now have a skincare routine and well I think my skin is very grateful that I do. 

In the summer I tend to have pretty average normal skin, I put suncream on everyday because it protects your skin and I love the smell of it. Anyway my skin tends to be in fairly good condition throughout the summer months. However in the winter my skin tends to suffer more and I get really dry skin and more breakouts, this probably isn't helped by the fact that naturally we all tend to wear more makeup in the winter which although looks great when it's on it can make our skin suffer more. 

Anyway I have now finally got a skincare routine that seems to be working for me which is great and I quite enjoy doing it too, so I thought I would share with you what I use :) Having a proper skincare routine has also helped with my dry skin and has helped to restore my skin to a healthy condition. I have a daily skincare routine and then I have a couple of products that I only use once or twice a week. These products are the ones that have worked for me and the type of skin that I have. 

The daily skin care routine: 

• Liz Earle  cleanse and polish which is the hot cloth one. I use this everyday twice a day including for removing makeup, which has never been so easy before. I use this with the Liz Earle muslin  cloth. 

Muslin Cloth

• Liz Earle skin repair moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin (this is a really nourishing moisturiser, works wonders for dry skin) 

• Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye cream (this is great for helping me feel refreshed and also works as a concealer primer )

• Elizabeth Arden 8hr Cream I use this on my lips every night before bed as it's incredibly moisturising, I also put this on any dry spots that are particularly dry and need that extra bit of help to recover. 

Products I use once or twice a week: 

• Liz Earle gentle face exfoliator: I tend to use this once or twice a week depending on how much my skin needs it. I only use this after I have cleansed my face first with the cleanse and Polish. 

• Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask: I use this once a week especially at this time of year to really moisturise my skin. I also only use this after I have used cleaned my face with the cleanse and polish. 

Do you have a skincare routine? What are your favourite skincare products? Do you use any of these products. 

The Barney picture today is of Barney on his walk this morning! He looks super happy in this picture almost like he is smiling bless him! Katie and him were running around the fields this morning like crazy dogs, they just love to play and chase each other. Walking has been lovely at the moment especially with this beautiful sun that we have at the moment. 

Hope you are all well and jolly :)

Anna-Louise 

xx

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Mini Beauty haul | Liz Earle, O.P.I

Hellooo there!!

How are you lovely people today?! It's Sunday isn't it so some of you may be feeling sad that it's Monday tomorrow well if that's the case turn that frown upside down :) If you don't get that saying well I'm no good at explaining it but its something to do with smiling instead of frowning and well a smile being the opposite of a frown I think don't hold me to this explanation, core that was a big word for me! 

Fun Fact: Giraffes don't make a noise/have a sound. 

I find that sad but cool, hopefully they don't feel left out they shouldn't because they are taller than most other animals that do make a noise. I guess some people just like being quiet. How cool would it be if we had Giraffes instead of cars?! Or is that just me? Let me know what you think! 

Sorry I haven't posted over the last couple of days, I have been working a lot and have been rather stressed and tired and when I feel like that I tend to scream and shout and let it all out (see what I did there using song lyrics hey ) so blog posts didn't get written! However I did say I was going to do a blog post every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and then any others would be extra's so this one is Sunday's as I didn't want to let you all down! 

I may have bought one or two or more beauty products this week, I know all in one week hey so I thought I would share with you guys what I purchased :) 

I don't know about you lot but I love anything beauty related! I'm always reading blog posts and reviews about different beauty products and looking for new ones to try! I also love beauty products as they have really helped me with my confidence as I feel if I look good I will feel good about myself. 

The first thing I bought this past week was a hand and body lotion from O.P.I. You may be thinking I thought they did nail varnish but oh no they also do the most amazing hand and body lotion. They are know as O.P.I Avojuice Skin Quenchers, the one I got was the Jasmine one the smell is amazing! I have seen them in a couple of nail salons before now and have loved them and went for a Spa day on Monday and they sold them there and well you know what it's like when you see something that smells great and you have herd lots of good things about you just have to get it don't you?! There are 10 different Avojuice flavours, I say flavours but please don't try eating them, I think what I mean is smells? Maybe I don't know but you get where I'm coming from right?! The thing I love about this so much is the smell of them, there is nothing better than putting on a fruity moisturiser especially at this time of year as it reminds me of summer and my skin needs a lot of love and care as it tends to get very dry during the winter months! If you haven't already checked one of these delicious moisturisers out I definitely recommend that you do.

O.P.I Avojuice Skin Quencher

Now I don't know about you guys but I really suffer with dry skin during the winter months especially on my face. In the summer my skin is pretty normal apart from the odd breakout. I used to use E45 cream on my face after a cleanser but I was finding that it just wasn't getting rid of my dry skin. Don't get me wrong I'm a massive fan of E45 and however it just wasn't working with my skin. I happened to be speaking to my grandma who also suffers with dry skin and she could not recommend enough Liz Earle enough to me! Good old grandma for the recommendation hey! She told me that she has being using Liz Earle skincare products for too many years for me to remember now and they have always combated her dry skin so I thought why not give them a go and I tell you what so far I'm incredibly impressed. I also did a little bit of research about them as a brand before and another thing that really appealed to me is that all their products are made from active ingredients which is great as even if you have sensitive skin these products should not aggravate it. I popped off to my local John Lewis to pick up a few bits and bobs and after using them for less than a week so far I have noticed a considerable difference to my skin! 

Liz Earle

One of my favourites so far that I picked up from Liz Earle is the Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish set. I absolutely love this cleanser so far. I can tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to taking make up off and would quite just use a make up wipe to take it off. However now I have tried this I don't think I will take my make up off any other way! Taking make up off has never been so easy. The set comes with 2 muslin cloths and the cleanser in the little bag. All you have to do to take you make up off is put the cleanser onto you face dry then run the muslin cloth under hot water and then wipe it off and then splash your face with cold water. It's literally as easy as that and it even removes heavy make up which is great as there is nothing worse than spending ages trying to get your eye make up off. If you are looking for a new cleanser, I recommend trying this one I don't think you'll regret it! I don't think I'll use any other cleanser now which is a big thing as the one I was using before this I had been using for years but that's my old aspergers for you and I don't like to change my routine but this was definitely worth changing for. 

Hot cloth cleanse and polish

I also picked up the Skin Repair Moisturiser For Dry/Sensitive Skin and am also in love with it. It's a rich creamy texture and leaves your skin feeling super smooth and soft. It's great, I've only been using this a few days and it's already made a enormous difference to my dry skin, it's now lovely and soft again. It comes in this cute little pot and has a smell but I'm no good at describing smells so I won't. 

Skin repair moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin

The other two products I picked up from Liz Earle was the Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask and Gentle Face Exfoliator. When I went to John Lewis they had a deal on which meant I got the Exfoliator for free which was great as I had gone there to buy it anyway. I haven't yet tried out these two products myself yet as well you know what they say time flies when your having fun and both of these are not daily treatments. My grandma had recommend both though so I'm sure when I do find some time to pamper myself I will be just as impressed as I have been with the other two products I have used. Here are the links for both the Gentle Face Exfoliator  the Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask .

Barney and I went for a lovely sunny walk yesterday morning with my daddy :) It was nice to have a good bit of sun although it was incredibly chilly, I regretted not wearing more clothes, silly sun made me think it was warm! He enjoyed a splash in the stream as he loves water and finds it anywhere, he mainly enjoys finding sticks in the water he is strange like that. 

Hope you are all well and jolly 

Anna-Louise 

xx

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