What skin care products are ideal for you!

Hey everyone,

So something you don't know about me is that I am very interested in skin care. I have done lots of research and in the past I have spent a lot of my time with trying to find answers to my skin problems. This has helped me gain a lot of knowledge and through trial and error and I have now come to know the products that work for me and the ones that don't. Some other facts about me are that I got to tafe (which is like college) and study beauty, skincare and makeup retail which has broadened my understanding of skin care so much more. The other bit of information about me that relates to the topic is that I recently got a job at my local pharmacy and I spent a good amount of time talking to one of the cosmeticians about skincare which was so informative. I could make a whole other post about the history of my skin and what I am currently using but this post is about finding your skin type and what products are best for you. So here it goes :)

First of all something everyone one should know and keep in mind is that there are more than one skin type. Everyones skin is different and that means their skin will each react differently. Just because one person you know has had success with a certain product doesn't mean you necessarily will. The trick to overcoming this is to first find out what skin type you have and then start looking for products which have good reviews from people with your skin type. You might be wondering how do I find out what skin type? The following I have put together to help you discover your skin type and what products are best suited for you. 

Oily Skin: People with oily skin have enlarged pores, have a shine to their skin, are prone to breakouts, blackheads and feel greasy. 

Types of products: 

• Cleanser - Foaming or milk ~ eg. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser 
• Toner - With astringent (not if sensitive) ~ eg. Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Toner
• Moisturiser - Mattifying and oil free ~ eg. Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser

Dry Skin: People with dry skin tend to have tight and flaky skin especially after washing their face and they don't tend to develop much oil at all. 

Types of products:

• Cleanser - cream ~ eg. QV Intensive Moisturising Cleanser 
• Toner - No astringent (rosewater) ~ eg. Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner 
• Moisturiser - cream ~ eg. Natio Evening Primrose Moisturising Face Lotion

Normal Skin: People whose skin isn't dry, oily or have any obvious pores. They have rare breakouts and their skin is easy to handle.

Types of products:

• Cleanser - Anything really (milk, cream or foam) ~ eg. Natio Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Toner - No astringent (rosewater) ~ eg. Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner
• Moisturiser - Lotion or cream ~ eg. Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion

Sensitive Skin: Easily irritated, goes red, gives you a rash, is itchy and skin reacts badly easily.

Types of products:

• Cleanser - Depends on skin type but gentle, natural and with no harsh products ~ eg. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
• Toner - Depends on skin type (preferably without astringent) ~ eg. Natio Rosewater and Chamomile Gentle Skin Toner
• Moisturiser - Depends on skin type but for sensitive skin and is gentle ~ eg. Sukin Sensitive Face Moisturiser 

Combination Skin: People whose skin are more than two skin types. For example oily in your T-zone and normal to dry on your cheeks. 

Types of products: (I didn't recommend any products because it varies on the combination of skin)

• Cleanser - Milk and/or foam on T-zone (depending on what type of combination skin)
• Toner - With or without astringent 
• Moisturiser - Oily free on T-zone and cream or lotion of cheeks (depending on what type of combination skin)

Natural Makeup :)

Hey girls,
Do you ever have those days when you really can't be bothered to wear makeup and there isn't really any need for you to be wearing it? I have those days quite frequently and it doesn't seem necessary for me to do my normal makeup routine. However I still like to feel confident and comfortable in myself so I decided to come up with a makeup look which only consists of a few products which are lightweight and very natural.

Products

• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
• Nivea Lip Butter
• Maybelline Cover Stick
• Maybelline Mega Plush Volum Express
• Benefit porefessional 
• Eyebrow brush
• Eyelash curler 

So since I was doing a natural look I decided that there was no need to do a full coverage foundation routine so instead I primed my face with the porefessional which gave my skin a smooth, matte complexion and filled in my pores.

I then went in with my concealer and dotted this under my eyes and blended it in with my ring finger.

To finish off my skin I used my stay matte powder and lightly brushed it over my face. If you are wanting more coverage but don't want to use foundation at tip would be to press the powder into your skin evenly using more product. 

For my eyebrows I just combed through them with a brush to make them look more groomed. If your eyebrows tend to go wild during the day a tip would be to put some hairspray on your brush before combing them through. 

I decided to curl my lashes before I applied my mascara because since we aren't using any other eye makeup I wanted them to still stand out and appear wide. Once I curled my lashes I applied a couple of coats of mascara to my top and bottom lashes. 

My last step is to apply some sort of lip balm, I used nivea lip butter because they're so moisturising and I love them but anything will work the same. 

I hope you enjoyed this makeup look and I will be sure to post more soon :)

Ella x  

Beach Day!

The beach is such a beautiful place which is so breath taking and rejuvenating. It so still and calm, yet the waves are constantly breaking and making the loud swishing and crashing sound which somehow relaxes us and distracts us from reality. That is one of the things I love about the beach. All of its natural features like the sounds, views, colours, textures, smells is what makes it so special. It gives you so many different things to focus on and each time you are there it is never the same. You will always get that fresh and alive feeling when you are at the beach because in that moment you are free and it is just you and the natural world. Even if you do get salty hair, sand between your toes, stinging eyes and dry lips you will still feel amazing because you have connected with a natural creation which no man could ever create. It is something that will always be there and should never change. Everyone takes away a different experience from the beach but something I'm sure everyone can agree on is that it is so beautiful and should be embraced.

The pictures below are from the weekend when my friend Bre and I went for a walk along the beach. It was really a great day and inspired me to write this post :)

Hope you enjoyed this

Ella x

Maturity

Hey everyone,

Something that has been bothering me lately and been on my mind quite a lot is "maturity". Being a teenager in high school I am surrounded by so many different types of personalities which are all developing at different rates. Its crazy how one person can be so much more grown up compared to another who is exactly the same age. It doesn't make the person any different its just the way they choose to act in certain situations which defines how mature they are. I know for a fact there are certain people I feel more comfortable around and feel as if they won't judge me because they're mature. I admire those people for being so accepting, judge free and don't feel its necessary make an offencive comment on something just because it is out of their norm. They are psychologically able to make their own mature decisions for themselves without the influence of others because they know what is the kind and right thing to do. Experience and learning is what I believe really makes you mature. Every milestone you go through always leads you to a better understanding and helps you give a more sympathetic response to things. It is a status that is very controversial and can be interpreted in so many different ways. Immiturity can be a very frustrating trait to engage with (especially during high school) and I would be interested to hear what any of you guys do to help stay positive, how you manage to ignore it and what your views are on this topic. 

Ella x