****This is after 3 weeks of every-day use. If anything changes, I will let you know and make edits to this post if needs be****

A few weeks ago there was 20% off everything on ASOS, and I remembered that The Ordinary was now being stocked on there, so I bit the bullet and finally purchased me some goodies. I ended up getting all four products for about £18, which is so good!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t ~really~ know where to begin, it seemed like there was a LOT of choice, and that combined with my sensitive skin, I was perplexed at where to even start. I just ended up picking a few that looked good, and that I could add into my everyday skin care routine.

First up, is The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA. I really love the tube that this comes in, which I know is kind of irrelevant but I’m mentioning it anyway. Sometimes moisturisers are a bit too greasy for me and I end up with a few spots due to that, but I had no such problems with this and still use it every morning. It tastes a while to rub in and is a bit ‘white’ at first, but I actually really like it for a fuss-free morning moisturiser. For £5 I would definitely repurchase.

The other thing I use every morning is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and this is apparently great for reducing the appearance of blemishes and congestion. I love this product, and it has worked so so well for my skin, which is so much clearer and the texture has improved greatly. (Before using these products I had a few spots, and my skin’s texture was quite bad, with a lot of bumps on my forehead.) With trying so many different products at once, its hard to try and guess what caused what, but my better skin definitely had something to do with this! I will repurchase this, for sure!

I picked up The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% but was a little scared about using it as anything with ‘acid’ in the title puts me off it a little. It says this is to be applied in the evening, so I use it after cleansing, the optional face mask, and mix it in with my Rosehip oil. It offers a very mild exfoliation that isn’t at all stripping on the skin and leaves it lovely and glowy. This has quite a strange smell to it though, so that’s the only thing that bothers me about it but that smell doesn’t linger on the face which is a good thing.

Now, for the product that I didn’t get on with so well- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2%. I already had a few spots before trying this, and I read that you could either apply a small dot on the blemishes (which did bring them down a little) or a small dose all around the face. However, when I started applying a small amount all over, it really broke me out. A LOT. I had such a bad reaction to it, which has started to think my skin might be allergic to salicylic acid or something. I will still keep this product and use it for one on one spot application, maybe in the future though. After not using this for a couple of days, my skin started to clear again so I know it was this that definitely caused the problem, unfortunately. (EDIT: I tried this again with on the spot application, and it still seemed to aggravate my skin, so I think I will be giving this one to my sister.)

Have you tried any of these products from The Ordinary?

* I use affiliate links.

Even though sometimes the weather doesn’t play ball, we are still practically in summer. So I thought I’d show you a few current bodycare faves and the new thing I’ve been doing…

Lets start of with my current obsession. Well, thats a bit much actually. BUT I have been doing regular body brushing with this little guy (similar) above I picked up from The Body Shop, and it has made SUCH a difference to my bum and legs. Fo real. I really recommend picking one up if you fancy it, I honestly couldn’t believe the difference it made and how much firmer my skin was. Plus in the shower it literally takes a few minutes, which is perfect for lazy gals like me.

In terms of body wash, I either go in with my Soap & Glory (these little ones last so so long) or for a more natural pick, my Sukin body wash.

This Garnier fake tan mist is an old favourite for me, but I somehow still can’t manage to pull myself away and try a different kind. Its just so simple with the spray mist, and never really leaves any streaks. It also dries suuper quickly, meaning I go straight in with my body moisturiser from the Body Shop which leaves me smelling like strawberries. Sweet!

Do you have any recent body-care favourites that I need to hear about?

I’ve tried to write this post 3 times and always end up deleting my previous efforts. So I’m gonna go with the flow for this one, try to write coherently, and hope you understand where I’m coming from.

I don’t weigh myself. WHY? Because I truly feel, for most people out there, they will never be happy with the number they see on the ‘sad step’ (perfect name for it I think!)

This is a recent lifestyle change. About 6 months ago I still weighed myself regularly (every week or so), and in the past I have gone through periods of weighing myself extremely regularly along with restricted eating. I’m at the point in my life where I don’t want to feel bad after stepping on an apparatus. It brings about such a feeling of self-hate that I’m not prepared to have in my life anymore.

If I feel good about myself and my body and my clothes fit how I want to, why should a figure change that? And more importantly, why do we let it? Why do we let silly numbers dictate our days/weeks/lives?

If you’re on a weight loss journey I can see how it helps, but sometimes the weighing scales really aren’t the true indicator on to whats happening with your body. Go with what you see in the mirror, how your clothes fit compared to how they used to, do you see new muscle definition where you didn’t before?

I have no idea how much I weigh right now, I eat healthily and workout a lot AND I treat myself too. I don’t want anything to change my positive mindset, so I don’t want to know. I’m come to the point where I can honestly say..

I DON’T CARE.

Which feels so bloody liberating to say.

For the first time EVER in my life, I’m happy with my body. Its about time.

<3

Do you weigh yourself?

Skincare is something I don’t mind investing in, however when there’s great options available on the drugstore, I don’t see the need to over-spend. Especially as I can save some money and get a product that’s just as good but half the price!

Here are some of the things I’ve used from the drugstore, that I would recommend to you guys..

MICELLAR WATER-  SIMPLE *

I know a lot of people rave about the Garnier one, Bioderma etc. I have tried the Bioderma but found it was too drying on my skin, I’m scared to use the Garnier one because I love the Simple one SO SO much. Its my holy grail. I got my sister hooked on it too. I like to use this to get rid of the dirt and makeup, before giving my skin a proper cleanse.

CLEANSER- NATURALLY RADIANT *

I wrote a post on this cleanser a few months ago, because its THEE perfect dupe for the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, but less than half the price! Its hasn’t got the most luxurious feeling, but I wouldn’t expect it to for under £6.00. The most important thing is that it cleans my skin without breaking me out, which is always my main concern. If you want to read more about this, link is here.

EYE MAKEUP REMOVER- BODYSHOP CAMOMILE *

I got this from the Body Shop’s beauty advent calendar, which was a pleasant surprise. The bigger and best surprise though, was how lovely it is to use! It doesn’t sting or irritate the eyes at all. Second mention also goes to the Simple Eye Makeup Remover, and the Nivea one is great too. There are such good options out there!

FACIAL WASH- SOAP AND GLORY *  (similar)

Being honest, I’m not a regular user of face washes. I much prefer cleansing, then either applying a mask or using an exfoliator. The reason I like this one is because it leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh, without being drying or tight. It actually has tiny exfoliants in it, but they don’t do much if I’m honest. Once again, I love it because it also didn’t break me out. (I’m boring myself with that one.)

FACE MASK- L’OREAL GLOW *

I’m all about glowy skin, so when a CLAY face mask promises to do this, I’m intrigued! And the best part, it actually WORKS! Once you’ve removed it with a damp flannel, it leaves your skin glowing and lasts for the next few days too. I’ve had mine for quite a while now, and I still have a reasonable amount left, so definitely value for money.

TONER- LA ROCHE POSAY SEROZINC *

This is still under £10, so I’m gonna class it as ‘budget’. This little guy also lasts for SOOOO long and is a cult classic for a great reason. I’ve had mine since last summer and only just used it up (I use it pretty much everyday too!) The fact that toner comes in a spray can it also so much easier, just spritz and go. I’ve heard people use this as a facial mist, I only use mine after cleanser, pre moisturiser.

MOISTURISER- BODY SHOP VITAMIN E *

This is another one I got in my beauty advent calendar. I don’t tend to use that much moisturiser, its kind of a morning only routine as I use a face oil at night. This one is very calming and soothing on the skin, and you don’t need to use a lot to get the hydration, which I like. I want to try the Garnier Moisture Bomb range as I’ve heard great things about them, so I think when I’ve run out of this one, that’s where I’m headed next.

EYE CREAM- SIMPLE (can’t find a link, sorry!)

I love this little roller ball. Its so nice and gentle under the eyes, and provides a nice cooling sensation too. Its so easy to use, and I’ve had no problems or irritations with it at all. Plus, it was also SUPER cheap like £3!

FACE OIL- ROSEHIP OIL

All the ones I’ve tried to link, are expensive. I ordered mine off Amazon, because I’d heard great things about it, but didn’t want to pay over the odds (I think it came out around £10-15). Rosehip oil is well known for a good reason. I would probably put this down to saving my skin a year or two ago when I bought it, I haven’t had results like it before. These days I tend to not reach for it every day, as I like changing up my skincare to get the most benefits and to not get stagnant.

Woah, that was quite a post! Let me know if you enjoyed this down below in the comments, and would you like a higher-end expensive version in the future? x

*Affiliate links.

This isn’t a post on about to be positive DURING tough times. I don’t think such a thing exists, well not for me anyway! This is meant to be for when the dust has settled, and you feel like you might be able to get back to your old self in the not so distant future.

FIND COMFORT

When I still don’t feel 100% after a hard time, I crave comfort. I let myself have it in any form I desire. Whether thats ditching my usual healthy food choices for extra chocolate, or indulging in heartier dishes, if it comforts me, I’m gonna have it. If its reading in bed for a few hours on an evening to take your mind off things, do it. Anything that makes you feel like a warm hug from the inside, is SO worth it.

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF

I think that sometimes people expect us to be back to our best selves, much quicker than is actually realistic. Don’t try to complete everything you used to do in one day like your best self, its okay to have a few ‘off’ hours and let yourself digest that down time to recuperate. Take it easy. Your body (and your mind!) will most likely be a bit frazzled and not working on full steam, so try to be a bit gentler than you would usually be to yourself.

LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE

If treating yourself to some new beauty bits brings back that feeling of excitement, I 100% recommend. (This definitely works for me 🙂 ) Maybe you want to plan a day trip to somewhere new with your friend, or arrange a cinema date with the BF, having little plans to look forward to are so great and makes you feel a lot more positive.

I hope this helped you if you needed it! Love <3 xxx