Summer Ready Skin

I don't know about you, but once Summer starts rolling round I always seem to take much better care of my skin and try to stick to some kind of body care routine. I'm very good at keeping up my skin care routine all year long, but for my actual body I kind of neglect using products on an everyday basis during the colder months. It's most likely because during the Winter it's so easy to cover up with jumpers and thick tights that really, it doesn't overly matter if you do forget to slap on a bit of body butter in the morning!

But now that it's starting to get slightly warmer, I think it's always good to put together a simple yet effective body care routine just to get you back into the swing of things and prepare yourself (and the world) for starting to show a bit more skin! The main areas I like to focus on are my arms and legs as I love wearing little cami tops and skirts when it's warm, so these are the selection of products I've been using recently to start preparing my skin for the Summer!

My body care routine starts whilst I'm in the shower and one of the first products I will use is an exfoliator. The one I've been loving recently is the Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub (£8.00 LINK). This stuff smells incredible, if you love sweet, rich scents then this will be right up your street! This sugar scrub helps buff away dry skin and with the added shea butter leaves your skin feeling lovely and soft, plus smelling amazing. I will use this around twice a week as it's a fairly rough body scrub, definitely not something you'll want to use everyday!

Next, if I'm shaving my legs, I will reach for my Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter (£7.00 LINK) which is a body wash and in-shower body butter in one. I don't really use this as a body wash but as a replacement for shaving gel as it lathers up really well and leaves my skin feeling super smooth! If you also don't have much time in the mornings, this would be amazing to apply at the end of your shower to leave your skin feeling soft all over. Again, like all Soap & Glory bath products, it has a beautifully rich scent that smells good enough to eat!

My final in-shower step is to use a skin softening body wash. I've been using the Nivea Diamond Touch Cream Shower Oil (£1.99 LINK) everyday for the past few months and have been really loving it! It has a beautiful, creamy floral scent that really lingers on the skin long after a shower. It also lathers up into lots of luxurious little bubbles that leave my skin feeling soft and clean.

Once out of the shower I immediately apply some form of body lotion/ oil. My absolute favourite body product to use during the Summer is The Body Shop Brazil Nut Beautifying Oil (£10.00 LINK). This dry oil sinks into the skin really quickly and leaves no oily residue behind, meaning you can get dressed straight away! I also love the super sweet scent of this product as it instantly reminds me of being on holiday last year! This is also a great product to use if you have just shaved your legs as it doesn't irritate the skin like a normal fragranced body lotion would. 

If I'm after something a bit thicker that will really help hydrate my skin then I will reach for my Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk (£10.00 LINK). This is a great product to use if you have used both the scrub and body wash in the shower as it really helps ties all those amazing sweet scents together. As this is much thicker than my oil I will use this around 2/3 times a week to help moisturise my skin and leave it feeling amazingly soft.

So this is my super simple guide to getting Summer ready skin! With just 5 products all from the high street this little routine is affordable, easy to use and works really well. I know we're still a few weeks off from actually being able to bare a bit more skin, but it's always good to prepare so that when it is finally warm enough you can go bare-legged without having to worry!

What products do you use to get your skin Summer ready?

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VO5 Hair Care

VO5 Hair Care | LINK

Hello everyone I hope you're all well! Today's post is going to be my last post before I leave rainy old England and jump on a plane to the sunny island of Cyprus! I am so excited for this holiday and trust me, I'm in big need for a good week of relaxing and drinking cocktails by the pool! My blog won't be going bare this week though as I do have a guest post lined up from a lovely blogger so I do hope you check back soon to have a read!

Today I wanted to talk about some products from VO5 that have recently become a part of my everyday hair care/ styling routine! Over the past few months I've been trying out a small selection of the vast array of products they sell and over this time I have really started to love using them. I've only tried their styling products as I'm happy using my Aussie shampoos and conditioners for now (read my review of them here), but I'm definitely considering trying the VO5 ones in the future!

VO5 High Volume Weather Resistant Hairspray | £3.29 | LINK 
This hairspray is the most recent VO5 addition to my collection as my trusty old Pantene Ice Shine Hairspray just suddenly stopped working one day - rather odd! As I have very fine hair that lacks volume at the roots, I thought this product would be great at keeping my hair in place and offer me some much needed volume! The High Volume hairspray comes out as a very fine mist that's easy to work with that leaves your hair looking natural and shiny. I think this is a great hairspray as it really does keep my hair and curls in place plus prevents those pesky little fly away hairs from appearing. I also find it works really well when you spray it into your roots to give your hair lots of volume!

VO5 Give Me Texture Dry Texturising Spray | £3.79 | LINK
 The Give Me Texture dry spray is actually a form of sea salt spray, but unlike many others I have tried it doesn't leave my hair tacky or crispy feeling! It's a fine mist that just adds a bit of texture to the hair and makes styling messy buns, pony tails or even fish tail braids very easy! I love the whole messy casual hair look and I think this is a great product to use to achieve this style.

VO5 Plump It Up Dry Shampoo | £3.79 | LINK
This is an all time staple in my hair care routine now, I don't think I could ever live without this dry shampoo because it really is amazing! The Plump It Up Dry Shampoo offers lots of texture and volume to the roots of my hair as well as making it smell fresh and clean all day long. Again it's also a very fine mist that comes out nearly translucent on my dark hair. I think colourless dry shampoos are an essential for me as I hate brushing out that horrible "grey hair look" that you can get from ones like Batiste! I think everyone should give this dry shampoo a go, it's an absolute must for me!

VO5 Smoothly Does It Tame & Shine Heat Defence Spray | £3.89 | LINK
My final favourite hair care product from VO5 is the Smoothly Does It Tame & Shine Heat Defence Spray. What I really like about this product is that it's multi-purpose. It offers heat defence which is an essential step in any hair care routine plus it can be used as a finishing spray to tame fly aways and add extra shine to your hair! I mainly use this as my heat defence spray and it always leaves my hair feeling really soft afterwards. I do use a lot of heat on my hair but since using this product I've noticed my hair hasn't got as many split or damaged ends as it did before using it!

Overall I would highly recommend trying out the VO5 styling range! They have so many different lines of products that I'm sure there's something for everyone - each of these products come from different lines and there's even ones I haven't tried before! I would also like to mention that every product I've tried from VO5 has a really lovely scent (especially the Smoothly Does It spray) and they always leave my hair smelling amazing! If you're looking for some new hair care products to add to your routine, head to your local supermarket or drugstore and try out the VO5 line.

Have you tried anything from the VO5 hair care line?
What are your favourite hair products to use?

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Ombre Hair Care Routine

Today, I wanted to share with you the products I use on a regular basis to maintain and look after my hair. Just so you know, my hair is fine, curly and ombre, so I use products that keep it healthy and defined. It's also prone to going frizzy and messy so I also use products that keep it sleek and soft. In this post I'm not going into massive amounts of detail on each product, so if you would like to see something reviewed, just let me know!

Shampoo & Conditioner

Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Shampoo & Conditioner

These are the products I wash my hair with the most often. On average I wash my hair about 3 times a week, and out of that, I use this shampoo and conditioner on 2 of those occasions. This shampoo and conditioner are designed for damaged, over processed and coloured hair. As my hair is ombre and prone to breaking from all that bleach, these products are perfect for keeping my hair feeling soft and staying strong. They also smell amazing which is always a winner with me!

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo & Conditioner

What a mouthful! On the third time of washing my hair, these are the products I use. These are designed to neutralise any brassy tones and brighten blonde hair by using them 3 times a week. As my hair is only ombre and not bright blonde, I find it best just to use this once a week to keep my hair bright and from turning ginger. These products really do work and whenever I use them, I get compliments about how bright my ombre is and whether I've bleached it again! Nope, I just used these little beauties. The smell is nice, with a slight hint of lavender, however my hair doesn't feel soft after using them and I have to rely on a leave in conditioner/ hair oils after.

Treatments

Wella SP Luxe Hair Oil* (Review) LINK

This is one of the newest editions to my hair care system and to be honest, I don't know how I lived without it! This hair oil contains Argan, Jojoba and Almond oils to nourish, define and make your hair super smooth! I use a tiny bit of this on the mid-lengths to the ends of dry hair to make it feel amazingly soft. It also smells of dolly mixture/ perfume, which is gorgeous!

Pantene Pro-V 12 Hour Night Therapy Oil Replacement

I picked this up from Poundland a while ago and is one of my best beauty bargains! I use this on the night before I wash my hair, so whilst I sleep, my hair can be replenished with oils to make it soft and smooth in the morning. I then wash it out but my hair remains really soft! I keep this on the mid-lengths of my hair and focus on the ends as that is where my hair is the most damaged. Definitely recommend you picking this up if you see it!

Aussie Limited Edition Luscious Long Leave-In Conditioner

Aussie is one of my favourite hair care brands, their products leave my hair soft and smelling amazing, which is what this conditioner does! I use this after my John Frieda shampoo and conditioner to make my hair soft again. I spray about 8 pumps over the lengths and ends of my hair and leave it to dry naturally. It contains Eucalyptus and Avacado oil to pamper and nourish your hair. Lovely!

Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Split End Serum LINK

I use this after washing my hair with the Lee Stafford shampoo and conditioner to treat my hair even more. I place a pump of this into the palm of my hand, rub my hands together and run it through the ends of my hair. I've been using this for a month now and my split ends have definitely improved!

Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Regenerating Mask

Whenever my hair is feeling really dry and damaged, this is where this product kicks in! About once a week I will apply this mask all over my hair, tie it in a turby-towel and leave it for about 4 hours. After I rinse it out, my hair is feeling soft and repaired. This is also great as an intensive conditioner in the shower if you leave it on for about 3 minutes!

Styling

Phil Smith Life's A Beach Sea Salt Spray

Whenever I want natural looking waves, this is the product I go to. When my hair's still wet, I'll brush it so it's straighter, they spray my hair with this sea salt spray. Then I scrunch my hair a bit and leave it to dry naturally. This does leave my hair looking nice, but it can be a little drying.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Lace LINK

 This is my favourite dry shampoo I've tried! It smells amazing, gets rid of any grease/ excess oil and gives my hair loads of volume! I'm sure everyone knows about Batiste, but if you haven't tried this scent, I totally recommend it!

Schwarzkopf Got2b Guardian Angel

Whenever I blow dry, straighten or curl my hair this is the heat protectant I use. To be honest, I rarely use heat on my hair as it's already quite damaged, but if I'm late and need to dry my hair quickly, this protects my hair and leave it smelling nice. 

Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Hair Spray LINK

This is one of the best hair sprays I've used. It has a really strong hold, yet can be easily brushed out afterwards. It also leaves your hair shiny and in place all day. I mainly use this to get volume at the roots without back combing by lifting the hair and spraying at the root.

Brushes

Wide Tooth Comb

This is just a cheap comb from Wilkinsons which was no more than £1. I use this in the shower when I'm washing my hair to get rid of any tangles and knots. My hair is always noticeably softer and tangle free after using a comb whilst washing my hair, so I definitely recommend you trying it if you don't already!

Tangle Teezer in Golden Goddess* (Review) LINK

And finally, my everyday hair brush. I use a Tangle Teezer as I find they don't break or pull at my hair when brushing. This is really important for my as my hair is thin and damaged, so I do not want to add to that by using a normal hair brush. The Tangle Teezer easily glides through my hair and leaves it soft. If I straighten my hair properly as well, this is what I use to brush it whilst straightening!

And that's it! What a long post haha! I hope this helped if you are looking for some products to add or change in your hair care system. Remember, if there's any products you'd like reviewed, then just leave me a comment!

What's your hair care essential?

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Skin Care Routine | Dry & Sensitive Skin

I made a post called 'My Skin Saviours' back when I first started blogging, and I thought I would show you my whole skin care routine. From the age of about 13 to early 16 I suffered with really bad skin which used to affect my self-confidence. I set out to find the right products for my skin type (dry/ sensitive skin) and try and fight back! I've only just 'perfected' this routine within the last year or so and since then I have had reasonably clear skin. I also take Bassetts Soft & Chewy Early Health vitamin tablets, which are for children but they taste so good and have actually helped my skin, and a Cod Liver Oil tablet (any brand) everyday. I also drink as much water as I can which works out well because it's usually the only thing I drink.

Morning
Cleanser - Every morning I exfoliate my face, back and chest in the shower with the St Ives Sensitive Skin Gentle Apricot Scrub. This stuff is amazing, when I suffered with spots on my back and chest, (a real confidence knocker - and a bit gross) this exfoliator cleared them within a week at the most! I have used this everyday since. After this I then cleanse my face with the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash. This featured in My Skin Saviours post as one of the main products that really cleared my skin. I love this and it's great for dry skin as it's a cream so doesn't dry out your skin as much as other cleansers.

Toner - The Simple Soothing Facial Toner is a relatively new instalment to my routine. This is my second bottle and I'm really liking it. Before trying this I never saw a point of toner, but after using it my skin feels cleaner and as it dries my pores feel like they're getting smaller. I apply this with a cotton wool ball (the ones in the picture are from Boots, but any one will do) all over my face and neck. I then spray about 5 pumps of the Savlon First Aid Wash before my toner dries. This may seem like a weird product to use but it does say it can be used for spots and I like to think it kills all the bacteria off my face before I apply my makeup.

Moisturiser - As I have dry skin, moisturiser is a key step in my routine. I use the Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser as it is the richest moisturiser Simple make, so I'm getting more moisture into my skin in one go. I then use my eye cream and at the moment I'm mostly reaching for the balance Me. Wonder Eye Cream. I suffer with dry eyelids which can make my makeup look cakey. Using this has kept my eye lids soft and hydrated.

Night
Cleanser - If I wear makeup I will use a Johnson's Daily Essentials Face Cleansing Wipes for dry skin. These are great and remove all of your makeup, even waterproof mascara, and leave your skin feeling soft. For an extra clean I use the Neutrogena Cream Wash again.

Toner - Again, I use the Simple toner and 5 pumps of the Savlon spray in the same way as in the morning.

Moisturiser - Again, I use the Simple Replenishing moisturiser and the balance Me. eye cream.

Spot treatment - I only treat my spots at night as it can dry your skin out or look weird under makeup. The first treatment I do is my Freederm Spot Treating Gel. I've gone through loads of these and it helps fight and prevent spots. I place a light layer on any blemish and allow it to dry. Next I use the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Face Mask as a less-concentrated version of tea tree oil. As it's in mask form it'll be much more gentle, so I place a light layer over the oilier areas of my face (chin, nose and sometimes forehead) plus over any bad blemishes. This product is meant to be a weekly mask, but I find it works fine like this. Finally I use some Sudocrem, mainly on any dry areas of my skin plus on top of spots. This is a great product to have because it has so many uses! This may seem a lot on my skin, but it all works well for me.

I don't do anything weekly to my skin, unless I have a face mask or two laying around. So that's it! I hope that if you're suffering with bad skin you can take some tips or products out of this post. It's really the case of researching and trying out new products, and eventually something positive will happen.

What is your best tip/ product for healthy skin?

Amie ♥

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