Jackie Who? Lush review

I've never gone into Lush for makeup before but me being the crazy ingredients  lady suddenly got attracted to the idea of home-made cosmetics! It's genius!

Jackie Oates is what Lush call a colour supplement which is sort of like a sheer foundation/concealer I suppose. They offer a range of different colours but Jackie Oates is specifically for us paler folk. 

I always find make-up turns orange on me which is apparently due to it oxidising but this is a perfect colour match and is very creamy, almost moisturising! I would treat it more as a tinted moisturiser as it definitely isn't full coverage but Lush advise you mix it with moisturiser for a sheer cover.

I like it for its easy blend creamy goodness which gives a gorgeous dewy glow to the skin! Great for trips to the shop or the gym when you don't want to make loads of effort. 

It's not an awful price at £8 but a little goes a long way due to its liquid texture. The product has definitely made me more curious about Lush make-up and makes a great base or primer for people that like a fuller coverage. 

So far no breakouts from this diamond of a product and I will re-purchase if I eventually get to the bottom of the pot!

Have you tried Lush make-up?

Winter Musts

Spring is approaching and so after a winters use I thought I’d share my winter essentials with you.

First of all I’d like to give a big mention to my cleanser.

This Eucerin dermo purifyer has really helped me through my Christmas junk food breakouts and doesn’t dry out my skin too much during the cold winter months! Although you do need to moisturise after use.

I don’t think I would have got very far this winter without Toni and Guy's prep leave in conditioner as it has kept my hair soft a wavy instead of the typical winter crisp and frizz that I experience. I’m not much of a hat person so I’ve got to keep my tresses looking half decent. I place a dollop of this in my hands and spread throughout damp hair after a shower and I wake up in the morning with smooth shiny hair. However Oil would be a deeper treatment alternative.    

Another essential is an all year round in my eyes! These delicious Maryland Gooeys are just the scrummiest winter treat to dunk into any drink or just eat a whole box without noticing like I often do. They may have even overtaken Oreos on my favourite biscuit list! (achievement)   

I didn’t own slippers before these little babies came into my life. Ever since I was a child I have always stripped off my shoes and socks, even now I have a habit of slipping them off when sitting down or walking round the house barefoot when its freezing but these Bedroom Athletics (yes, dodgy name I know) keep me warm and toasty and I’ve even popped them in the washing machine a few times too! They are really good quality and have real leather soles, the material has kept super soft after countless washes and the zips make them so easy to take on and off. These were a fabulous Christmas gift from some friends and I recommend them to non-slipper users. Mine are in; Gingerbread.

http://www.bedroomathletics.com/view/collection/new-arrivals-for-AW13/womens-aw13/faux-fur/detail/566/

I picked up these microwave mitts on a trip to Home Bargains which is  a new store to me in Cornwall and I assume is a British version of Walmart. Everything is an excellent price and you can pretty much get anything from pop tarts to a suitcase! I was looking for a microwavable hot water bottle as I like to lie on them but isn’t the safest option when lying on top of a balloon of boiling water! These cute mitts and slippers have been a life saver and contain lavender to help you sleep. They were a small price of £6.99 and only need 30 seconds in the microwave to take you to toasty heaven! You could even wear the mitts out on a cold day and the wheat bags are removable if you want them for their traditional use.

This was an early Christmas gift from my fiancé as I had been admiring this super cosy snood in River Island for days however the price tag of £18 put me off and the fact that its white makes it even more vulnerable to stains! Saying that it has been worth every penny and has kept me warm all winter. I like to wear it full length when it’s not as cold but wouldn’t recommend it if you wear foundation as it will probably show on the white material.   

After those warm winter baths I have enjoyed using this lazy body moisturiser by Soap and Glory. I’ve never enjoyed moisturising my body that much because of the sticky feeling afterwards and those time it takes to cover all the vital areas. This light spray is a genius idea if you are like me and it smells glorious! Soap and Glory always get it right. 

Let me know any recommendations for the upcoming seasons. (Summer, YAY)

My skin story

You’ve probably noticed me mention in other posts that I have sensitive skin and tend to avoid fragranced products and this is all down to acne. I have suffered from acne since I was 11 (started in my last year at primary school) This does sound very young and I remember being embarrassed because I was too young to wear make-up and it’s scary enough going into secondary school or ‘high school’  as it is. I was lucky enough that I had an amazing group of friends and didn’t really get bullied but the occasional comment was enough to make me very insecure.

Some days my skin would hurt and it would be worse so I would pretend to be sick and stay home out of embarrassment and it stayed like this for years throughout school. When I was around 12 my mum would be me creams from boots to try such as witch hazel and tea tree, as any other acne sufferer will know this doesn’t budge the problem at all so when I was 13 and rather miserable due to the endless problems me and my very supportive mum took a trip to the doctors, for the next 6 months I was on antibiotics which reduce bacteria but again this didn’t even have an effect. It’s very disheartening to hear such success stories from products like the ones I tried and get no results! As well as this I was drinking green tea and water to aid the healing from the inside which I still do now as it is very good for you.

As time went on and the problem didn’t stop I started to lose hope, I ended up trying 4 different antibiotics and countless over the counter creams. At one point when I was 14 someone told me that being beautiful is having nice skin and it knocked my confidence, after this I dropped all products and tried the ‘nothing’ method that the lucky people such as my sister with the perfect natural skin seem to be fine with. I used a face wipe to remove my make-up and would splash the residue off with water but this made my skin worse. After discovering foundation at 14 to cover my acne I had to use something better to remove it and gave up on the dream of having effortlessly beautiful skin.

Simple products became my favourite when I was 15 and I started taking a birth control pill to help my skin before my last year at school and the long awaited May Ball or ‘prom’. I also met my fiancé when I was 15 and he was a massive confidence boost, it was amazing getting compliments and attention from him after many years of hiding but even when I would sleep over I would keep my makeup on due to insecurities.

The birth control wasn’t working for my skin but I stuck with it and being happy with Nick and using simple to be more gentle on my skin after years of scrubbing it raw and drying it out with lotions and potions was enough. However May Ball came round and my skin hadn’t improved, covering it before May Ball was my main priority and I remember being so upset that the doctors promise had failed me. Regardless I left school with great friends, good grades and bad skin. (you can’t have it all)

By this point I was 16 and suffering with acne for 5 years was taking its toll so I took drastic action and went back to the doctors sobbing, this time they referred me to a dermatologist (skin specialist) at the hospital which was daunting as it reassured me that my skin problems really were as bad as I’d feared.

This was the turning point for me, after almost 6 years of struggling I was put on RoAccutane for 6 months which changed my life. My acne was going slowly but surely and as the dosage was upped my confidence went with it. The constant hospital visits throughout college for my skin was well worth it and this pill is famous for its side effects but the only ones I experiences were the dry skin and lips. This was easy to combat. Whilst on the tablet I stayed on birth control and carried on with simple and by the end of the 6 months I could pop to the shop with no make-up on. For the first time in 6 years I went for months without 1 spot! Despite the concerns about this pill I believe it was worth it for me however it was a last resort and took much consideration so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone without medical referral first.

After RoAccutane I suffered scarring which is still hard to cover due to redness but I haven’t experienced any dips in my skin, this would probably be better combatted with laser treatment but I used Bio-Oil to speed up my healing and then left it to mother nature.

5 months ago I had to change my birth control pill due to uncomfortable migraines and since changing from a mini pill (you have breaks every 3 weeks) to a progestrian only pill (take it every day) I have suffered from acne and blemishes again. This has been difficult after many years of doctor and hospital visits and is easy for me to say they were for nothing. I don’t wear foundation as it causes me more breakouts and I avoid fragrance products to help my skin. My scars are much better and I only wear concealer now however I am upset by the constant hormonal skin problems that cover my chin.

I have recently been put on antibiotics again which didn’t have any affect… surprise, surprise. For now I am playing the waiting game and not bombarding my skin with harsh products or pills again but RoAccutane is always in the back of my mind as it’s affects were outstanding! Currently to help my skin I drink green tea and water as much as I can, avoid harsh chemicals and ingredients, take birth control and vitamins and wear as little make-up as possible.

I understand my body is going through hormonal hell at my age and next year I will turn 20.

As I’ve grown I have learnt to accept myself as I am and hope that others can do the same. After all, it could be worse.

Has anyone else encountered skin problems after change?