FINALLY!!! A cream bronzer for oily skin!

Oily skin has its benefits - less wrinkles, looking like you glow from within, that kind of thing. It also has its disadvantages and not being able to use cream products is one of them. Now really, I haven't had any need to use cream products because an hour after I put on my powder bronzer it looks dewy anyway but nevertheless, I've always loved the idea of using creams and creating a gorgeous glowing skin that will last and most importantly won't look like I've washed my face with a deep fat fryer! 

The day has finally came. Yesterday, MAC released their range of BB bronzers. I've got to say that I've been in LOVE with their compact BB cream for dry skins - it looks like silk on the skin and actually has a really nice coverage to it, a little more than your average BB cream but not so that it looks or feels heavy on the skin. Alas, I cannot wear it because its properties mean that it pumps moisture into the skin. The tube version, created for a more oily skin, doesn't settle right on me either. Now they have expanded the range to include a compact cream bronzer, and a tube gel bronzer. I was sceptical at first about the tube, having not been a fan of the original tube BB, however when I've tried it, all of my scepticisms have been blown away. I cannot get enough. And here's more...it SETS!!! It gives my skin a glow and then stays there. It doesn't move around the skin like it's compact cream sister, but stays where I put it. Better still, the colours are so gorgeous! Golden, refined golden and amber all give gorgeous bronze glows with a slight shimmer - perfect for the summer! I've just bought Amber so far as I've yet to try the others but I have a feeling that refined golden (the darkest of the three) will be coming with me on holiday this year. They're just to die for. 

I haven't tried the compact on anybody yet with it just having came out yesterday but I'm sure it will be gorgeous! And they're permanent! LOVE!

Bridal Makeup - How much should I expect to pay?

Ahh bridal make up. It's a make up artist's bread and butter, but most of all, especially for me, it's the best part of a make up artist's job. I love the buzz on the morning of a wedding but also, it's such a nice feeling to know that you have been a part of somebody's big day in such a special way. Just think about your hair and make up on your average night out - if it goes wrong, it has an effect on the way your whole night goes because the way you feel about the way you look effects your attitude for the whole day. As shallow as it sounds, it's the foundation on which my whole job is built. Making somebody feel good about themselves is addictive. And on no other day is this more important than on your wedding day. And, it's the reason why people seem to get away with charging so much for bridal make up.

That having been said, I completely agree with a higher charge for a bridal application. Bridal make up is not your average Saturday night make up. I have had various people say to me that they want their make up the exact same way that they wore it last Saturday and despite the fact that it may look the same, there will be subtle changes such as a different primer, or highlighter to avoid flashback. A different texture lipstick to avoid an awkward hair stuck to the lip situation as well as waterproof eyeliner and mascaras. Not to mention the fact that more time, care and effort is taken to ensure that the makeup fits in perfectly to your theme. 

I ask where you're getting married, what style of dress you're having, the colour of the bridesmaids dresses, the time of day, the flowers. I want to know every little detail, and not just because I'm being nosey, but because all of this adds to my thought and creativity process when designing a look just for you. Say for example, you are having peach bridesmaids and soft peach and white flowers and I put a pink blusher and lipstick on you, this will be glaringly obvious and will stand out a mile. 

Then there's the weather on the day! Last July saw one of the hottest days on record for us in the UK and as I was on my way  to my bride that day, I could feel the sweat on my forehead and knew I would have to make changes to her make up so that it would stay all day. And it did. Because she hired a professional who charged her that little bit more for her expertise. I do charge more for a bride than for a bridesmaid because that extra time and effort goes on the bride on her big day. I will of course give the mother of the bride and bridesmaids a fabulous service that they will not be unhappy with, but there's no denying that it's the bride's  day and it's so important that they are happy with their make up and how they feel on the day. They are going to be photographed more than they have ever been in their lives. 

So you should expect to pay more for your bridal make up - not a ridiculous amount but if a make up artist was giving you the same service that they give you on a Saturday night, then they're not doing their job properly. 

Body Shop Tea Tree Range

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we all know my skin is problematic and very, very oily. We all know I do the odd stint at MAC - put the two together and it spells disaster for my skin. I'm now used to wearing minimal makeup when going about my daily business and only ever really wear it when I'm going somewhere nice, like having lunch with friends etc. Wearing it every day really took its toll on my skin and I had a breakout. I feel like I've tried every product on the planet. 

I didn't go into the body shop for skincare. I went into the body shop for a facial massager. Which I got, and I've got to admit, despite not really having used it enough to see a difference, I'm not really sure what the point is. Perhaps it's one of those things that needs to be used regularly enough to see a difference. It feels nice though. However, I'm waffling. I saw a bottle of Tea Tree Facial Wash (£5) and thought it couldn't hurt to give it a whirl. I saw an instant difference in my skin. The next day my skin was visibly clearer. I had two massive spots on my cheek and they had almost completely gone. So much so that my boyfriend, who knows to tip-toe around the whole skin issue, mentioned how clear my skin looked. He even used it himself and was so impressed that he asked me to buy him a bottle for his own house. He loves it too. 

I use it every morning and every night. In the morning as a first cleanse and in the evening as a second cleanse, once I have removed my makeup. Loving it. And so cheap! I want to buy some other bits in the range. The website says the evening lotion is a best seller so I may give that a try next time I'm passing The Body Shop. It's so cheap, and I've honestly not found anything that has been so effective for a while!

Give it a try if you have oily, problematic skin!

On a side note, I have been using simple moisturiser throughout my dermaroller process but reverted back to my Clarins Hydraquench lotion again last week - my skin came out in a million tiny little bumps. I think it's just too rich for my skin, which is a shame as I have a full £40 tube of it left!

Dermaroller Update!

I had my second dermaroller treatment a few week ago. It was definitely more painful than last time, but Paula was more intense with the roller this time, given that my skin is quite resilient and she did want some pin-point bleeding. The down time for this treatment was about 2 weeks, so much longer than last time. At first, I was scared that I had made a huge mistake because my skin was red and flaking so much after it, not to mention the fact that I had got it into my head that it would cause more scarring because it makes the skin bleed! Instead of stressing, I chose to just have a really good skin care regime and do some more research - whilst some skincare specialists say that the skin doesn't have to bleed, a lot say it is necessary to see any real effect. 

However, 2 weeks after treatment, my skin has calmed down so much, and by continuing with my good skincare regime, I've not had any breakouts. My skin is looking fresher and more even in tone. The red scars have really started to disappear. The atrophic scars however are still quite prominent, although my mum says that my skin definitely looks smoother. I will take her word for it, as she is my biggest critic and also looks at my face every day. After the first treatment, I definitely believe that the biggest difference was seen after the microdermabrasion session, and I've just had my second one of those today. Hopefully I will see even more of a difference than I did last time. I'm happy with my results so far and I've come to realise that it's a slow process and I'm not going to see any overnight success. It can only get better though!

Lisa x

My experience with Dermaroller so far!

I've had my first dermaroller treatment. Unfortunately life seems to have got in the way of blogging lately, as it so often does and so I come to you just over a month after having the first treatment. 

Firstly, let me start with all the details. Dermaroller is a treatment in which a roller covered in tiny needles is rolled all over your skin. The idea is that your skin is forced into trauma and therefore, your collagen is forced to reproduce, filling out any hole, lumps, bumps or fine lines that you might have. My main areas of concern are my cheeks, which have atrophic (indented) acne scarring, more so on my right cheek where the worst of my acne tends to flare up. There are various concerns that Dermaroller is recommended to treat for instance acne scarring as well as fine lines and I've even seen some amazing results on stretch marks. I am getting treatment with a 1.5mm needle at Transform's Liverpool clinic.  It's recommended that you get it done by a practitioner however, you can buy a dermaroller yourself and do it at home. Warning though, it may be the cheaper option, but it's pretty gruesome - I honestly don't think I have the balls or the stomach to do it myself at home. My lovely nurse Paula talked me through the process and said that you have to make the skin bleed in order to get some kind of result. All the official dermaroller videos I've watched on YouTube support this, so if I'm being honest, I couldn't do this to myself no matter how much money I was saving.

Speaking of money. It's expensive. Not as expensive as fraxel laser, or something more extreme like that, but it's not just a day's wages. The first treatment is £290 and all the ones thereafter are £260. Expensive. The benefit of going somewhere like Transform is that there is an amazing amount of support but also you build up points on a loyalty card which can be used for anything you want. I've chosen to use it for microdermabrasion treatments between rolling. 

So let me talk you through the process. Charlotte who works for transform is brilliant and knows her stuff about the treatment. She makes you feel really comfortable and like you have known her for years! She booked me in for a consultation with Paula, which due to car trouble, I couldn't attend. I was incredibly scared to get the treatment done (did I mention they roll needles across your face?) that I had almost decided not to do it. I remained however, really depressed about my skin and so I knew I had to do something about it. Charlotte was really kind, leaving me to have the Christmas break to think about it. I went into research overload and figured it really couldn't be that scary. 

So I booked in with Paula for the treatment with a consultation beforehand. She explained everything so thoroughly and took my before pictures. The brilliant thing is that I wasn't conned into having a course, or even more than I needed. She explained to me that it takes 6 weeks for your collagen to reproduce after there has been stimulation such as micro needling (the medical term for dermaroller - dermaroller is the brand) and that one treatment is going to see minimal difference. Two was recommended however it was completely on me.  She said that I can book as many, or as few as I wanted to, depending on how happy I was with the results that I was seeing. I've given myself a guideline of 3 and will see how I get on after that. I've seen some amazing results from the before and after pictures that she showed me. 

So I was numbed with a strong numbing cream for about half an hour. During this time I found out that one of my best friends had been successful for a really amazing job and I was jumping around the waiting room in excitement, unable to move my face. Attractive. Needless to say, I felt numb. Not as numb as when you go to the dentist, but sufficiently numb that I couldn't feel my nail when I dug it into my own face (I was about to stick needles in it, I had lost all rationality). Paula cleansed my skin and then got going. It was unpleasant. It stung. It wasn't unbearable. There were place in which it hurt more, like he forehead which is extra bony. I was left with pin-prick needle marks all over my face, which stayed for about 5-6 days. They say there's no downtime but I definitely think there is. I left make up off for 3 days. The needle marks heal over in 4 hours though, and I was given a lovely mask to wear on that night which really helps with the hydration of the skin after trauma. 

In the week or so after the treatment, my skin felt quite dry and tight and I was advised to avoid products with alcohol etc. I haven't noticed a massive difference in my skin, however, I have noticed that the redder marks have died down a lot - they used to look really angry but I don't even have to use much concealer on them anymore! I have my next one on Wednesday and I'm looking forward to it. I've communicated with a lot of people who've had it done and everybody seems to agree that the second treatment is definitely the one where you see the results start to come, and it only gets better from here. I have pictures on my instagram page - @hollywoodfaceliverpool 

I would upload them on here but I'm a complete technaphobe and don't know how to do it!

I will definitely keep you all updated, I can't wait to see my before and after pics after 3 sessions, I'm hopefully going to see a positive difference!

My Skin

No doubt you will all remember my obsession with skincare that has developed, or at least you hopefully all remember it, as it's been such a long time since I last blogged. 

Anyway, I have been on my travels, New York, Las Vegas and LA - and come home to a birthday and Jury Service, hence the delay. I also came home to a lovely bout of acne. I have talked previously of the problems that I have had in the past with my skin. Acne was something that troubled me from when I was around 13 until probably around the age of 17, when I went on Roaccutane, a final solution to years of horrible acne. Whilst my acne pretty much disappeared, I would still get the odd spot from time to time, just like most people do. So nothing troubled me when I was on a flight to New York and I felt a small spot coming up. My problem areas tend to be my cheeks, where I have a few scars, and this was where it was. I realised that it would probably look worse after a flight - who doesn't look like shit after a 7 hour flight?

During the next fortnight however, it gradually got worse. Since I no longer travel with an antibiotic cream, I bought a tube of benzoyl peroxide from Walgreens, which helped slightly. When I returned from my holiday, everything got much better and my skin settled down completely. I had figured that a few spots must have been down to 4 long flights, alcohol and the most calorific food I have ever consumed. 

Apparently not, as sure enough, my acne had just simply lulled me into a false sense of security - now it's back with a vengeance. I have even felt the need to visit the doctors, when no skincare that I was trying seemed to be working. The doctor was very understanding, and knowing my history, was prepared to re-refer me to a dermatologist, considering my spots to be a recurrence of my cystic acne. A particularly bad area was my chin, and my right cheek, where I had 10 large cysts at one point - unsightly and ridiculously painful. Whilst waiting to be re-referred, I have began to use an antibiotic lotion called Zineryt and have changed my skincare. Whilst the Clarins skincare is fab, I had to make sure that I was eliminating anything that could be adding to the problem. I visited makeup alley a lot, and found La Roche Posay Effaclar to come well recommended. I bought the foaming cleanser, the effaclar Duo and the effaclar astringent toner, as well as my old trusty clean and clear Dual Action moisturiser - an absolute steal at £2.50!

Previously, I have always used a foaming cleanser - but after reading Caroline Hirons' blog, I was under the impression that this was the worst kind of cleanser that an oily or acnefied skin could use. However, since changing back, my cysts have almost completely disappeared! I did some research on the effaclar range and found that the foaming cleanser has a pH of 5.5 - slightly acidic but apparently said to match the natural pH of skin. Anyway, without being too technical, I've found that it's really helped my skin - sometimes you just have to stick to the old faithfuls. 

Everybody's skin is different and I'm not saying that effaclar will cure your acne - I'm also quite sure it has had something to do with my Zineryt antibiotic lotion, which previously never helped with my acne during my teenage years. Admittedly, my acne was much worse then. I am saying however, that it has worked for me, and with most products being under £13 a pop, it's worth a go. I know that I would spend as much money as it took as having bad skin is one of the most confidence crashing problems that anybody can suffer with. I had even taken to wearing a hat so that I could position my hair in such a way to hide it. I've been left with quite a few reddish/purple marks which I'm upset about but they cover quite well with makeup. 

I am however having a consultation tomorrow at Transform to see if there is anything that can be done with a few of my more pitted acne scars and will definitely blog about it. If anybody has had any acne scar treatment done - let me know what you think. I'm trying to be as well informed as I can be. 

Hope you're all well, 

Lisa

I'm literally addicted - everything that I've learnt about Skincare!

I wake up thinking about it, I'm constantly searching the Internet for it, I'm forever buying new things to try. You might think I'm talking about make up (usually the case!) but you'd be wrong. I'm talking about my new addiction! SKINCARE!! I blogged not so long ago about the new god in my life - Caroline Hirons, AKA the Skincare queen! My eyes, ears and mind have been opened to a whole new way of thinking! 

Pre-Caroline, I used to try bits and bobs, also known as buying whatever was on offer in super drug. You couldn't really say that I had a routine exactly but I always washed my face, and then simply used a moisturiser after washing and just before I put my make up on. I thought that this counted as looking after my skin. The truth is, I was taking a stab in the dark as really didn't have a clue what I was putting on my face - I could have been using creme de la mer and it wouldn't have mattered. Because quite frankly, a moisturiser alone means nothing. Almost like filling your car up to the top but not putting the key in the engine - nothing happens. 

For me, and I'm sure for plenty of you other lost souls out there, a cleanser was a cleanser. I have to admit though, I always bought a cleanser and didn't simply use dove soap like my mum does. I used MAC cleanse off oil to remove my make up, and that was it. That was my routine. (I've since found out that cleanse off oil is actually a fabulous product, but I will get to that later). 

The one big lesson that I've learnt is about mineral oil. Mineral oil is a product that is designed to sit on top of the skin, almost like a coating, thus whatever it is in is unable to penetrate into the skin and actually do the things that it says it does. For example, you may have a moisturiser that is designed to make you look 10 years younger - but it contains mineral oil, so whatever peptide or plant extracts or whatever other miracle products it contains are useless, because that mineral oil is going to sit there and stop it from getting in. A bit like a moat around a castle if you will. And it is in practically everything. I exaggerate of course, there are products that don't contain mineral oil, but surprisingly, it's in a great many. When choosing any Skincare product at all - if it has mineral oil in it, it's basically going to do jack shit for your skin. I have no idea why it isn't banned to be honest because in reality, it's completely false advertising! 

The second lesson I learnt was in terms of cleanser - you must use an oil based product to take your make up off, and one that doesn't contain mineral oil of course. I found that MAC cleanse off oil fits the bill perfectly! Caroline recommends a few on her blog, she loves a balm but as I already owned this, I didn't see the point in buying a new one, as my wish list was already proving to be quite expensive. As well as this, I knew that this worked for my skin as I've used it for years! I've never been dubious about using an oil on my oily skin by the way - oil counteracts oil but not only does it do this, it also feeds, conditions and nourishes the skin with its other gorgeous ingredients! It also comes in a handy travel size. Secondly, you must use a non oil based cleanser to clean your skin. Caroline recommends one for every day and one for when your skin needs a treat. Of course I cannot make precise recommendations because I only know what's best for my own skin based on Caroline's recommendations and what I have tried so far. I have being using Clarins milk for every day and Ren Clearcalm clay cleanser for when my skin is feeling congested or spotty. NEVER USE A FOAM CLEANSER!!! They alter the PH of your skin and make it a breeding ground for bacteria.

How many of you use a toner? I've never in my life used a toner. Now, my role model, my mother, as I've said before uses dove soap. That is her only beauty product. I have to fight with the woman to wear the correct make up and apply it in a respectable way and I've been a make up artist for 6 years now. So I've lost her on the skin care bit, but she's too stubborn and stuck in her ways anyway. 

I digress...basically toner is like the best treatment for your skin. Obviously, you could still cleanse and moisturise without don't this step, but basically your skin isn't going to look as good. This is also a two step process. An exfoliating toner will replenish your skin and restore the PH of your skin, which may have altered slightly in the cleansing step. Using a beaded or abrasive exfoliator will only spread any bacteria around the skin. This slightly acidic lotion will do the opposite. Using either a spray toner or just a normal toning lotion after this will once more stop any bacteria as well as sandwich moisture into the skin. It also refines the lo of your skin but tightening pores, helping to clear blackheads as well as reducing the look of any scars or pigmentation in the skin. This is particularly so for the acidic, exfoliating toner. 

Now because I'm aware that this blog is almost becoming an essay, I'm going to skip to the moisturiser part, as I'm probably going to do another blog on the treatment step that would come after the toner. Anybody with an acne skin should avoid Shea butter. It's harder for your skin to break down than other oils and so clogs pores easier, but it happens to be in quite a lot of moisturisers. The hydra quench range from clarins is one that Caroline has recommended for oily skins and so I use the lotion. I've also bought more recently the Multi-Active Day lotion, which is supposed to stop the signs of early wrinkles. I'm 23, so I think it's about time that I started the prevention. Of course, any wrinkle cream is preventative - it's not going to undo what has already been done, because otherwise surgeons would be out of a job. Any undoing of fine lines is probably just due to hydrating your skin.

And the last thing I have learnt was another hugely important step and is not actually about what we put on our faces, but more so about what we put in our mouths. The biggest beauty lesson - DO NOT SMOKE!! It's killing every single part of your body! It looks disgusting, it smells disgusting and is helping you to reach an early grave. Having lived with a smoker for 23 years, it is beyond me why anybody would even start. Disgusting, just disgusting. Secondly, eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Exercise! These steps make you feel and look better - you might not realise it, but they're keeping you young - both in looks and body! We know all of these things are good for our bodies but so many of us don't do it and then complain. The solution is simple. Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of sugar, and I'm probably just as guilty of driving to the shops as the next person, but now that I'm more aware of it, I am going to make the changes. No point in moaning when I'm 60 but look 85 is there?