Monday 25 June 2012

MEMEME: Right now (2)

Lana del Rey - Without You


_________________


I'm currently chilling out listening to Lana del Rey (bought the album before my holiday in April, and I'm still listening to it almost daily - shows how amazing it is!).   I can honestly say I haven't tired of any song on the entire album.

I've finally (after years of browsing it) got a Polyvore account! I've only made 2 sets so far but I'm really enjoying it! I did Art for years at school, but seeing as I have a tecchy/sciency career now I feel like I'm losing all my creativity.  I hope this will be a good way to channel my artistic side :) You can see my newest set (inspired by Lana haha) above :)

I'm realising I really need to chill - Mike applied for an amazing internship and we're waiting to hear if he's got an interview.  Only thing is .. I think I'm more nervous about it than he is!  So I really need to take my mind off it, leave it up to fate and stop spending his salary before he even gets accepted..

I am currently mega annoyed at my face - I keep breaking out! I normally have perfect skin (other than my brief rosacea phase as described a few posts ago), but ran out of Liz Earle and had to go back to drugstore products.  I'm using a moisturiser that I quite liked before - Nivea Pure & Natural for sensitive skin - and I don't know if it's a dodgy batch I have but my skin has never broken out this bad *sob*.  

Going to Toni&Guys tomorrow for a cut - after my hair got massively wrecked by hour-long bleach exposure it just doesn't feel the same.  Obviously!  It's getting better, mostly cos I deep condition pretty much every time I wash, but could really do with a trim.  Can't believe the place I went to for my pink colour *forgot* to cut my hair??!! Le sigh.

That's pretty much it for the moment :) what are you all up to today?

Tali xxx



Sunday 24 June 2012

FASHION: My love affair with rose gold

If you had asked me a couple years ago, hell, even a couple of months ago, I would have said that white gold is the only kind of gold I would ever wear.  But then I saw all the beautiful rose gold pieces coming out now, and  I completely changed my mind...





New Look Rose Skull Stud Earrings, a bargain at £2.99

Tali xxx

Friday 22 June 2012

FRIDAY'S FAVOURITES - The Ragged Priest

Happy Friday ;) Now that Topshop have announced that they are now selling The Ragged Priest items on topshop.com, I thought it would be a good time to announce to the world how much I love this brand!  I currently have been drooling over the range on www.adhoclondon.co.uk (haven't heard of Ad Hoc London? where have you been?) and plan on adding to my wardrobe pretty soon!

Here's the five pieces I've got my eye on by TRP:



Bottom left to right:

Bubblegum Shorts, £40 at Topshop: I have a total love-love affair with denim cut-offs at the moment.  The more colourful and studded the better quite frankly, and I love these ones in particular for the tie-dye/mottled effect.

Stud Pink Shorts, £65 from Ad Hoc London: Like I said, as long as they're crazy coloured and studded I need them in my life! These shorts are more expensive than the Bubblegum ones, presumably because of the crazy number of spiked studs! There's one word only for these: fierce.  And I love fierce...

Screwball Denim Shirt, £38 from The Ragged Priest site: I think I could write a eulogy dedicated to this beauty.  I think this is my favourite of the 5 pieces I'm 'showcasing' today - I love the ombre/dip dye colour effect, the embellished colour, the length and shape of the shirt.  It is stunning, and I predict a sneaky payday purchase on Thursday (I have said that about a lot of things recently, I think I'm going to spend my whole paycheck by this time next week!).  It's love <3

Albino Cropped Sweat, £45 from Topshop: The shoulders turn this would-be normal jumper into a badass wardrobe must-have.  The spiked denim applique is quite frankly awesome.  It would look awesome with some denim cut-offs, particularly some TRP ones ;)

Nato Camo Jacket, £55 from Ad Hoc London: I fracking love the whole grunge-military trend round at the moment.  This jacket totally reminds me of something that Charlotte Free (<3) would wear, is that just me? I don't own any camo clothing, this jacket is making me realise I need to change this, asap.  The stud detailing is amazing too.  This is my 2nd favourite item from today's FF.  


I absolutely love TRP clothing - it's so edgy and you can tell they really do pay attention to detail.  From the brand's perspective I am massively happy that they are making it big etc.  From a personal point of view, however, I'm kinda sad that us TRP fans are going to have to share our secret with the world...

Payday cannot come soon enough.....

Tali xxx


Disclaimer; all pictures are from adhoclondon, theraggedpriest and topshop websites.  Go check them out.  Now!

Thursday 21 June 2012

BEAUTY: Rosacea - what causes it and how to manage it

I started suffering from Rosacea when I had just finished writing my 30,000 word MRes thesis.  To say I was stressed was an understatement! I won't go into all the details that triggered that stress, but I was having panic attacks where I couldn't breathe and thought I was going to die etc etc.  It was not a fun time! Luckily I got through it and passed my masters, woo hoo.  Unfortunately, that year really took its toll on my skin.  I went from having rashes, to having what I thought was crazy eczema on my face.  

Over the next 6 months, I went from doctor to doctor, who prescribed me anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, topical steroids etc etc.  Off my own back I went massively OCD with my skincare routine, where I wouldn't just cleanse, tone and moisturise but would use retinol, AHAs, BHAs, 20% ascorbic acid (vitamin C) serums, and god knows what else in a bid to save my skin.  Even though my life settled down, my skin wouldn't.  It got worse and worse, and during the first 6 months at my new job my face looked like this about half the time:


Looking back at the pics I have no idea how I managed to deal with it mentally! People at my new job were really supportive, and I just kinda accepted it!  Eventually I got referred to a dermatologist (can you believe nobody would refer me for months?!) who, after trying out yet another steroid cream to no success, diagnosed me with atypical localised rosacea (try saying that when you're drunk!!) and sent me away with some Rozex cream (0.75% metronidazole).  And that's where my horror story ended.  My skin cleared up, and whenever it tried to flare up, I just applied some Rozex and away it went again.  I am now at the stage where I haven't had an outbreak for almost a year.  

Why am I telling you all this (and showing disgusting pics of my face)?! Because I know how horrible it is to have a skin condition where you don't know what's going on.  I was blessed with perfect skin my whole life, and for this to suddenly occur at 23 years of age was a massive shock!

What is rosacea?

A chronic condition characterized by facial redness, it can come in many forms.  Wikipedia calls it a "harmless cosmetic condition" - clearly written by somebody who's never had self esteem issues!!  Unless it affects the eyes, it is not seen as serious.  It normally presents itself as a constant flushing/broken capillaries round the cheeks and nose.  "Lucky" me had atypical rosacea, whatever that means! It is nicknamed the "curse of the Celts" due to it's frequency in Caucasians in comparison to other ethnicities. 

What causes rosacea?

Nobody really knows! There are theories that it can be caused, in some cases, by overbalance of particular skin mites.  Too much sun, stress, anxiety, climate extremities, strenuous exercise..the list of triggering factors is huge!!  People with rosacea should avoid spicy food, extreme changes in temperature (goodbai baths *sob*), coffee, stressful situations - anything that can cause blushing or flushing of the skin.  In my experience, it was all down to stress - there was nothing else, no changes in my skin care routine, nada, that initially caused it.  However, it has been shown that microdermabrasion, peels and retinols can cause rosacea! So my constant obsessive regime couldn't have been too good for it at all.  

What's the best thing to do if you have/suspect you have rosacea

Number 1 - See a dermatologist.  Because I have such a rare form of rosacea, no GP had a clue what to diagnose me with.  Until I saw a dermatologist I did not receive the correct treatment, and everything I was prescribed made it worse.  There are plenty of topical treatments for rosacea out there, but you need an expert to treat it.  
Other things - simplify your skincare routine.  I no longer even use facial scrubs because I know they will irritate my now extremely sensitive skin.  I only use products that are hypoallergenic, fragrance and colour free, even paraben and silicone free if I can find them! Products I love - anything by Liz Earle, Garnier Simply Essentials Cleansing Milk, Nivea Pure & Natural range.  I'm very careful about makeup too - the only foundation I have found that doesn't aggravate my skin is Liz Earle Skin Tint, which actually seems to clear my rosacea up??!! 
Disclaimer: may not have the same effect on your skin! It's always best to patch test first.
I also try and avoid stressful situations and caffeine, but to be fair I do that anyway! 

I hope this information is of use to someone out there :) like I said, I never *touch wood* have rosacea outbreaks anymore thanks to the changes I have made, and I have my metronidazole to hand if I get any further problems.  I know my rosacea isn't as chronic as some people's - I know a lot of people suffer from it for decades so I do consider myself one of the lucky ones, even if it was pretty severe at the time!

Tali xxx 

Sunday 17 June 2012

HOMAGE: to my cats

I've always been a cat person - or just an animal person in general to be honest - I've always maintained I prefer animals to people!  As soon as I got a job, I pretty much encouraged forced Mike to give in to my demands and get us some kittens.  They were the cutest kittens I've ever seen, so pretty and absolutely bonkers! That's where the good part ended though.  

Mike developed severe cat allergies, to the extent that he would have asthma attacks in the night and you could hear his lungs wheezing and rattling when he breathed.  As he was studying from home at the time, he was pretty much confined to our bedroom - the only room the cats weren't allowed in - and even then he would be so ill.  I tried two or three times to give them back but, as selfish as it sounds now, I just couldn't! I would cry my eyes out, knowing how scared they would be if we gave them back to the rescue home, how much I would miss them and even insanely jealous of whoever got to take them to their forever home, because they would no longer be my babies.  

We ended up deciding to keep them, because neither of us could bear to give them up, and I hope the information I provide here will be of use to anyone who has allergies, or lives with someone who does.  These are a few of the changes I made to our routine, and after 6 months (a year ago), Mike barely suffered at all! Now, when we've had them for nearly 2 years, he only coughs when I miss a vacuum day, and that is probably 0.1% as bad as it used to be!

  • Hoover.  I vacuum three times a week - this will obviously get rid of most of the fur and feline skin cells on the carpet.  It is ideal if you can live somewhere that has wooden/laminate floors rather than carpet, as it is much easier to clean it up.  It would be impossible for me to get all the cat fur off the carpet, but the best I can do is to keep it at bay.
  • Buy air filters/purifiers.  These used to be on all night every night in our bedroom to allow circulation of the air, and to get rid of all the feline particles (how weird does that sound!) in the room.  Nowadays, I can't even remember the last time we had an air filter on! Mike's allergies have improved so much that we don't need them at all.
  • It is important to note that cat allergies are NOT fur allergies - it's in fact an allergy to a protein in feline saliva (FelD1 if you really want to know).  As cats clean themselves so much, FelD1 gets transferred to their skin and fur, and that is when the problem arises!  You can buy cleaning wipes for cats to remove all the proteins and dirt on the cat's coat.  My cats absolutely hated me cleaning them though, so this never really took off!
  • Have a cat-free zone.  Again, this never really took off in our two bedroom apartment, as we didn't think it was fair to restrict the cats' area any more than it was already!  In our old apartment, as I said before, we kept the cats out of our bedroom, but since moving to a smaller-but-nicer place, we let them in all rooms during the day, and shut them out our bedroom at night.
  • Patience.  This takes time.  If you are that dedicated to getting/keeping your kitties, know now that a cure won't happen overnight.  However, over time your immune system does calm down and stop basically freaking out over FelD1 so much (I won't bore you with the biology!).  You can have immunotherapy injections where they basically inject FelD1 into the blood to help your immune system to create antibodies for it.  This will happen naturally anyway, immunotherapy can (doesn't work for everyone) accelerate the process.  

We're both so glad we kept Seren and Sparrow.  They bring so much joy into our lives.  I know I do sound selfish in this post; keeping the cats in spite of Mike's suffering, but I'm much more of an animal than a children person, and I honestly feel like these two are my babies (crazy cat lady alert)!  Here's some pictures of them:

When they were wee:








Now that they're big fat cats:







Miaow

Tali xxx

Saturday 16 June 2012

HOMAGE: to Charlotte Free

Charlotte Free is amazing.  End of! I'm sure every girl in the Universe secretly wants her pink hair and I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude.  I first came across her in the Topshop makeup lookbook - was it A/W11-12?  Whenever it was, I'm sure I'm not the only person to have been inspired by her individuality.






I totally see her as a new movement in the fashion world, which will completely destroy all stereotypes associated with modelling.

Rock on!

Tali xxx

Friday 15 June 2012

FRIDAY'S FAVOURITES - Spoiledbrat.co.uk

TGIF ;) To celebrate the start of the weekend, I'm going to share my five favourite pieces from an online UK store - Spoiled Brat.  

I can't believe I never stumbled upon this site before! It was only when I was desperately searching for Runway Dreamz UK stockists that I came across Spoiled Brat (don't get your hopes up ladies, RD is all sold out).  They stock some cult favourites and snap celebrities wearing the items just so you know you're at the right place!  I absolutely love every single thing they sell, so it was pretty tricky to cut it down to just five items.  However, these five pieces will be top of my Christmas/birthday/justbecause lists.  


Left to right:

Jeffrey Campbell See-Stars Shoe in black: Spoiled Brat also stock the most coveted Lita boots, but I thought I would show another JC boot.  How amazing are these! I am a total sucker for stars.  And speaking of stars, these boots have been seen on Selena Gomez and Ashley Tisdale! What more could you ask for in a shoe? (Except for the pricetag, £220... sob.)

Fallen Star Military Star Zipper Hoodie: Maybe it's just me having stars on the brain, but this hoodie looks so comfy as well as on-trend with the nod to the military style.  Worn by Una Healy, this hoodie is a steal at just £31.49 in the sale.  

Sauce Cosmic Print Maxi Zipper Skirt: Worn by Vanessa Hudgens, who has it spot on with teaming this up with a black vest top and an oversized necklace.  I love all the galaxy prints going round at the moment and this skirt is no exception.  It currently retails at Spoiled Brat for £74.99

The Ragged Priest Loveheart Denim Shirt - Even though my boyfriend thinks this is a reject from the 80s, I absolutely love this shirt!! Full on head over heels love.  I love the colours and the tie-dye/ombre effect, I love the oversized-ness of it and I love the sleeves! Can I haz please? It's only £40 which I think is a bargain.  This is my favourite of the 5 pieces from today's Friday's Favourites.

Spoiled Brat Butterfly Tunic Dress - I apologise for the tiny size of this picture, but Spoiled Brat don't seem to allow any picture-stealing (even if it is for glowing reviews like this post is!).  It is, for those of you who can't see, an oversized tunic with an equally oversized butterfly and a gorgeous waterfall hem.  Lamest description ever, so click on the link to get a better idea haha. £30.


I'm now off to hide my debit card somewhere I will never find it again.. its for the good of my bank balance right? Hmm....

Tali xxx  

Disclaimer: pics are all sourced from the above links. 

Wednesday 13 June 2012

MENU: Sea bass with citrus-dressed broccoli

I've never done a recipe post before but thought I would give it a go.  This is a recipe I cooked last week for the first time, and it's so tasty I'm afraid I'm just going to have to share it!  I will openly admit it's not a dish I invented - I get most of my ideas from bbcgoodfood.com/recipes and totally recommend this site.  I was mega impressed with the recipe and the way the dish turned out, and even my boyfriend, Mike, (a previous fish phobic, but I've got him onto salmon, then trout, cod and now sea bass!) loved it!

What you need:


  • Sea bass.  I actually bought some fillets from The Saucy Fish Co. (a franchise sold by most supermarkets) because (a) they're sustainably/responsibly farmed, (b) they're actually the same price/cheaper than Sainsburys own brand and (c) all Saucy Fish Co fillets come with a special sauce - the sea bass comes with beurre blanc, which complimented it perfectly and tasted a-MAZE-ing.  
  • Broccoli.  I used frozen broccoli because I happened to have it in my freezer, but fresh would be fine, if not better!
  • 1 orange
  • Good olive oil.  I'm olive oil obsessed and always go for extra virgin speciality (sainsburys taste the difference do some really good ones).  It makes all the difference to quality and taste, and one of my favourite comfort food is some bread with a pot of olive oil.  But I digress...
  • New potatoes
  • [Optional] 4 tbsp Capers, 1 lemon and 6 anchovies.  I didn't use these, mostly because Mike isn't ready for anchovies yet, even though I keep telling him how tasty they are!
  • [Optional, depending on how healthy you're feeling that day!] butter

How to cook it:



  • Preparation:
    • Score the skin of the sea bass fillets; 5 or 6 times at ~1cm intervals.  Season with a little sea salt and pepper.
    • Peel and segment the orange.  Squeeze the juice from ~half the orange, and keep the other half in segments for later.
    • Clean the new potatoes, and boil some water
    • [Optional] zest the lemon
  • Place the potatoes in the boiling water, and leave to simmer for ~15-20minutes.  Meanwhile...
  • Cook the broccoli.  As mine was frozen I steamed it for ~8minutes, but fresh will of course take less time (maybe 3 minutes?).  As the broccoli is cooking, heat up a frying pan and, once the veg is cooked, drain the broccoli and tip it into the hot frying pan to scorch and dry the florets off.
  • Take the frying pan off the heat and toss in the orange segments, along with 1.5-2tbsp of olive oil and the orange juice.  Season with pepper and sea salt, and then set aside.
  • Clean the pan, and add 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Heat up on a high setting until very hot.  Place the sea bass fillets in the pan skin-side down, and push down on the ends to stop them from curling up.  
  • Reduce heat down to a medium setting, and leave the fish to cook for 3-4 minutes, until you can see the fillet is cooked about 2/3 of the way up.
  • Flip the fillets over and cook for ~2minutes.  Once done, rest on a warm plate, basting in the oil and the juices from the pan.
  • [Optional] Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan, and put it back on high heat.  Once hot, add the anchovies and capers and stir until they start to crisp.  Grate over the lemon zest and add the juice of 1/2 the lemon.
  • Drain the potatoes and [optional] add a bit off butter and sea salt to flavour

Serve up!!

(Recipe (slightly adapted) and picture from here)
  

Monday 11 June 2012

LIFE: 5 reasons why I'm happy today



(1) I live in a beautiful part of the world.  Although Scotland may not be known for its sunshine and beaches, it is stunning in its own way.  I've never lived in the countryside before, and it really is a joy to leave the house every morning and see lush fields, horses and pheasants just a minute away from my home.

(2) I went running on Sunday!!!111 After years of deciding I just wasn't a runner (disastrous jog which resulted me collapsing in the shower and ensuing shin splints), I put my excuses behind me and my trainers on my feet.  Other than a group of chavs saying something at me (my music was too loud to hear!) it was totally uneventful and completely satisfying.  I make all these plans to try booiaka, hot yoga etc etc, the facts are classes are expensive and there is nothing like that in my town so I would have to get at least two buses.  Running is local (or distant, whatever you like!) and free!  I downloaded the iPhone app '5k runner' and totally recommend it for a 'couch to 5k' style program.

(3) My life is pretty damn sweet.  Ok I don't have all the material possessions I want, live somewhere wear the average temperatures are comparable with a greenhouse or have a hectic social life.  But I have an amazing and supportive fiancé, two beautiful (and idiotic) cats who are a constant source of amusement, great friends who have stuck by my side (and I theirs) for years, a beautiful apartment, clothes on my back, makeup on my face, pink dye in my hair and quite frankly, all I could really ask for!

(4) My job is the best.  I know, that's a lame reason to be happy, but I wear what I want, work the hours I want, do the things I want, and still get paid! Ok so today I spent an hour demoulding an old freezer (it's a glamorous life being a geneticist, honest), but on Friday I was knackered, emailed my boss to ask if I could take the day off as annual leave, and he said "don't bother taking it as annual leave, see you next week!".  Does a job get better than that?! It is good to remember this point, because just a few months ago I was debating whether to make the move over to Australia because of a job offer! I'm glad I decided to stay.

(5) Following this post from Sometimes Sweet, I got all motivated to reserve some books at the local library.  I used to be the biggest bookworm ever, but over the years have lost the motivation and commitment to start a book.  I know right, that is totally irrational! So I'm hoping that these books will get me back into being a literary goddess. Or something...



Tali xxx

Friday 8 June 2012

FRIDAY'S FAVOURITES - Superdry

Friday's Favourites is a new weekly feature for my blog, and will consist of my top five pieces from a particular brand or store.  Today's FF will be based on a brand that I feel is often overlooked by women, as I know a lot of people (myself included up until recently) associate it with hoodies and men's T-shirts..and not much else.  Superdry is a successful brand (43 stores and 48 department store concessions) and is inspired by "Japanese graphics and vintage Americana, with the values of British tailoring".

I picked up their S/S12 catalogue while in there with Mike last weekend, and fell in love with pretty much the whole catalogue! I really love their individual style, with an element of laid back sex appeal.  So, with no further ado - here's my Friday's Favourites for Superdry!


Left-Right:

Superdry Vintage City Mac: I can't find this anywhere on the official Superdry website, so i can only assume it's one of their older pieces.  Prices start from £140 on Very.co.uk.  I love the military style of this mac, combined with the urban grey fleece inside.

Superdry Foundry Skintight Jeans: I'm always on the search for a good pair of skinny jeans.  Since I wrecked my Diesels, I haven't really found a pair that I really like, and therefore spend most of my time in skirts and dresses.  These look really nice and totally my kind of jeans.  Prices are pretty damn reasonable at £64.99.

Superdry Vintage Bouquet Dress: I think this dress would look so amazing with a checked shirt and hi-tops.  The layered skirt is bang on trend and is a combination of two different fabrics, making it really unique.  For only £44.99 what are you waiting for?!

Superdry Tokyo Brand Vest Dress: When I was in Superdry last weekend I tried this on in an alternate colour - a bright orange/red.  I decided against it as I knew I was getting my hair done pink and didn't want to clash!! I really like this deep burgandy colour though.  It fits really well and I really like the tie-sides as they give a really cool ruched effect.  It's only £27.99 as well :)

Superdry Twill Trailer Tie Shirt: This shirt comes in like a million (ok, 9) different colours, so I was totally spoilt for choice! I eventually decided on this colour scheme as it's a classic combo and would go with most things.  I'm starting to get more confident with wearing stomach-skimming tops and would maybe even dare to bare with no top underneath this shirt! £39.99 from superdry.com.  

What do you guys think of Superdry? Do you shop there a lot, or barely go there at all?

Tali xxx

Thursday 7 June 2012

HAIR: Tali meets My Little Pony




Hey everyone! I'm chilling out on the sofa with Mike after watching the lamest movie ever (Bad Teacher - Marshall from How I Met Your Mother was the only thing holding it together!).  

Anyway, as I hinted (ok, gave it away) the other day, I finally decided that 25 is NOT too old to go back to my pink hair! I can't get away with being awesomely cool (ha) forever so I may as well suck it up while I can.  When I was 21 I had pink and blonde and black hair...yes I was a skanky scene kid to the max...and it was awesome! That coupled with the whole pastel hair trend that I have been quite frankly OBSESSED with since winter, meant that I had to do this.

My inspiration:



 So. I booked an appointment at my local hair and beauty college as they needed models.   As cheapskate as this sounds, I can't remember the last time I paid full price for my hair!! I always go to trainee stylists because they do an amazing job and are supervised every step of the way.  This time was slightly the exception - the student went on a break for an hour (the horror!), leaving bleach on my hair, while I was panicking and thinking "my hair my hair!!".  It's a tiny bit damaged, but definitely salvageable!!

Anyway, onto the point of this post!

So. First came the aforementioned bleach:

I already had subtle ombré - caramel dip dye that meant that the colour lifted pretty speedily.  So by the time an hour was over it was mega light!
Then they applied the pink dye.  It was a mixture of different Goldwell quasi colours.  I am really impressed - I always thought it was alternative brands like La Riche Directions, Fudge Paintbox and Manic Panic that were the only manufacturers of crazy colours, but Goldwell have really produced some fantastic colours.  Even better, even after shampooing my hair this morning, I didn't get a bright pink blood bath in the shower - I think this colour is going to last a good long time.



Excuse the crazy one-eye iPhone shot!!  The stylist left this on for ~30mins, and when it washed off.. wow!! Check out the finished product ;)









I love it so much! Let me know what you all think :) Are you a fan of 'crazy colours' or do you prefer natural shades only?

Tali xxxx

Wednesday 6 June 2012

REVIEW: How Liz Earle saved my skin..

Liz Earle is a UK based company which makes naturally active products for face, body and hair.  I first heard of it when my mother went through a QVC phase going on for about 10 years ago!  As an unenthusiastic 15 year old without problem skin (those were the days!!) I never really 'got into' it, but my mum and my sister both absolutely loved it.  

Flash forward a decade and enter my annoyingly sensitive skin era, where using anything new can result in a flare up of Type IV Rosacea, rashes and anything else my skin decides to throw at me.  I have to be so careful about what I put in my skin, so when my mother gave me the biggest Liz Earle goody bag for Christmas I was a little wary.  At the time I was using the most basic (in way of ingredients) drugstore products I could find, and while they were working ok-ish for me, my skin had definitely been better.  So I gave it a go.

(left to right; Cleanse and Polish, Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser)

Cleanse and Polish (£14.25 for 100ml and a muslin cloth)

These days, Cleanse and Polish is a total cult bestseller which has won multiple awards.   The rich cream-based cleaner is applied to skin, and then removed with a pure muslin cloth which gently exfoliates away dead skin and impurities.  I personally don't use the muslin cloth because my sensitive skin can't take it, but I do love the creamy cleanser and simply remove it with a cotton wool pad.  I find the cleanser really gently cleans my skin, and leaves it clear without stripping it and making it feel dry.

Skin Tonic (£12.50 for 200ml)

This is an amazing smelling toner which is designed to remove any remaining cleanser and impurities from skin.  Honestly? I LOVE the smell, but don't really feel it adds or enhances my skin care routine.  However, I do use it twice daily, but that's mostly because it's there! I don't really feel it makes much difference, but it smells heavenly!!

Skin Repair Moisturiser (£18.75 for 50ml)

Skin repair comes in three different varieties - oily/combination, combination/normal and dry/sensitive.  I obviously use the latter because of my crazily fussy and dehydrated skin!  I love this moisturiser.  It really soothes my skin, getting rid of any redness and irritation, and it moisturises without being heavy.  Although some might see it as being quite pricey, I find it lasts at least three months at twice-daily usage, so I see it as a good investment ;)


I'm now going to review the most recent Liz Earle product I have tried - their foundation!

Sheer Skin Tint Spf15

Sheer Skin Tint Spf15; £21

My normal foundation is Lancome Teint Miracle - I like dewy finishes and light-medium coverage.  While it is a nice foundation, I find that it (a) doesn't seem to last all day on my face and (b) irritates my skin big time!  I had got a little mini rosacea outbreak from using Teint Miracle, so decided to ask for some free samples from Liz Earle customer service (who are the nicest people in the world. Fact.).  received, very quickly, the Skin Tint in the three different shades that were available at the time - Bare, Beige and Beach (they now have released a darker shade called Deep Bisque).  

Beige suited my NC20 skin flawlessly, giving a good amount of coverage for such a light foundation! It is more of a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, at least on first application, but the coverage is definitely buildable.  I have broken capillaries on my nose, and this covered them perfectly.  If I do break out, I use concealer on the affected areas in addition to Skin Tint, but that's normal for most foundations to be honest.   My dark circles were masked, and my skin looked glowy and fresh.  More than this, it lasted from ~8am to ~9pm when I take my makeup off! I find that very impressive considering I don't use finishing powders most of the time.

More than THAT, however .. I put this foundation on my rosacea-affected areas (how else would I know if it aggravated my sensitive skin?!).  By the time the evening came around and I removed my makeup. ..
My. 
Rosacea. 
Had. 
Gone.

Now, disclaimer time, I can't promise that this will have the same effect on everyone - it is always a good idea to patch test a foundation if you have sensitive or acne prone skin.  However, for me this foundation really soothes my skin, calms down any redness and gives light moisturisation.  Plus is a badass foundation!

Win win :)

All these products, and much more, can be purchased on www.uk.lizearle.com .

I <3

Tali xxx 

Tuesday 5 June 2012

HAIR: Sneak peek



Ta da! The long awaited (by me at least!!) pastel ombre pink hair I have been dreaming about since winter.  It was a struggle between me and how I feel a 25 year old should be, but of course in the end I won ;) I'm not going to be young and able to get away with crazy hair forever..although I will probably try when I'm a granny haha.

Sorry about the lame pic - it's too dark and cloudy to take pics today, and besides my skin is acting up at the moment :/ don't know whether it's hormones or my new moisturiser, but I'm not used to it and I don't like it!!

HOWEVER, amazing pics to follow soon I promise!! 

Tali xxx
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...