Hunting for Hydration

The end of May is nigh, and its still raining, cold and grey. Has anyone else forgotten what its like to leave the house in only one layer? Yep, me too. It almost feels as if we're forever getting summer ready, but we just keep getting stood up. If your still in need of some serious hydration these are some of my hydrating heroes.

Hydration Heroes

First Aid Beauty Body Moisturiser 
This body moisturiser is my savour. Not only is it extremely hydrating, it also helps with any skin issues I may have. Whether its dry patches or any redness. It is instantly soothing and cooling. The product is thick yet easy to apply, and it keeps my skin hydrated and feeling soft all day. It does not contain any fragrance, a great one for sensitive skin, and won't clash with any perfume. The best bit is that it leaves no greasy residue!

Origins Drink Up Mask
This product does not mess around when it comes to hydrating the skin. It is an overnight mask which you apply before bed and when you wake in the morning you can still feel it on your skin. Unlike most masks which disappear almost instantly. In the morning I am left with plump, soft skin. The consistency is that of a thick moisturiser. The mask is white but applies clear, a good one for a long haul flight, to battle the drying plane air.

NUXE Reve De Miel/ Body Shop Aloe Lip Care
I cheated, I couldn't just pick one. Both of these provide intense hydration to parched lips. I have tried many a lip balm in my time and know a good one when I use it. The body shop aloe lip care is a perfect product to use over night. I like using the Nuxe Reve De Miel in stick form, for on the go. It keeps my lips soft and plump, and also has a more matte effect rather than the usual glossy finish most lip balms have.

Coconut Oil
A quick google will tell you of the many uses of coconut oil. It's used for practically everything. I enjoy using it most on my hair. I apply coconut oil liberally on my hair at night, paying particular attention my my scalp. I sleep in it and wash my hair in the morning. A good tip is to work the shampoo into your hair before getting in contact with water. Then slowly add water and wash as normal. This makes it easier to wash out all the oil. After washing, my hair is noticeably softer and much shinier. Not to mention easier to manage.

What are some of your hydrating heroes?

Empties #1

This month I ran out of some of my favourite products. Some I can't bear to be without therefore I've already repurchased *cough pixiglowtonic cough*.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleaning Balm (nearly empty)
I've probably only got a couple uses of this left, but I'm going to add it in anyway. I won't write too much about this as I have already reviewed it in depth here.  I will say that this little baby is a pain to get hold of, its constantly sold out. My search to repurchase this starts now. This luxurious balm is similar in texture to coconut oil, as it is solid at first but melts into a rich oil as soon as it touches your skin. It is perfect to use for facial massage as melts away make-up and daily grime effortlessly. Fragrance-free; it is suitable for most skin types. I can't rave about this enough.

Pixi Glow Tonic
My holy grail skin care product. Since I started using this my skin has been looking and feeling so much better. It's changed the way I look at toners. A full review here. This product is definitely worth the money, this bottle has lasted me over 4 months and it is gentle enough to be used every day.

Pulp Friction Body Scrub
Brilliant name, brilliant product. After working this body scrub into the skin it lathers up into a lovely foam. A unique, great smelling product everyone would enjoy using.

Revlon Lash Potion
I love Revlon mascaras. My favourites will always be Clinique mascaras and I rarely buy drug store ones but this offering by Revlon is truly beautiful. The wand is easy to use, not too big or small, makes application easy a mess free. It doesn't clump and with even one coat adds volume. I've really enjoyed using this and would definitely buy it again. Not to mention the packaging is so pretty.

Super Dr Nicholas Perricone Hyper Hydrator
I picked this up from Tk Maxx just after Christmas and have been using it almost everyday since. It was a bargain price and I have been keen to try a product by Dr Nicholas Perricone for a while now. It was successful at keeping my skin hydrated all day throughout the winter months. I very much enjoyed using this moisturiser, the scent was very pleasant and reminded me of holidays. Which was miles away from the grey and wet British weather we were experiencing at the time. I am disappointed the Super range has been discontinued and I wished I had purchased up another tub of this.

What The Blogger Taught Me. Part 1.

I have to confess that I have probably learnt more about skincare, haircare and even healthy eating from blogs than any magazine. In this post I'm going to share a few things I have learnt from bloggers and their blogs.

Coconut Oil
Coconut is cheap and you most likely have a tub in the pantry. Now, I knew that coconut oil is great to use as a hair mask. I usually cover my hair in it and leave it over night, in the morning after washing my hair it's noticeably softer and shinier. What the bloggers have taught me is that coconut oil has many other uses. It can be used for cleansing, Caroline Hirons discusses this way better than I ever could so I'll link her post here. Coconut oil has many different uses, it works particularly well on dry cuticles.

Toner
I used to think toners were a useless step in skincare routines. I never really noticed a difference when I used them, so I just stopped. Then I heard about exfoliating and hydrating toners, suddenly it all made sense and now I never skip the 'toner' step (well, unless I'm really really tired). I've definitely noticed a difference in my skin since I started using toners such as the Pixi Glow Tonic and Caudalie beauty elixir.

Washing hair
I thought this is one thing I knew how to do. However after reading this post by Meg I knew I had to give it a go. Basically, it's an upside down hair wash. So, instead of using conditioner after shampooing, you condition first and then shampoo. Sounds strange and feels strange when your doing it. But honestly my hair has never felt softer and its quite bouncy. When you think about it it does make sense as the conditioner acts like a mini hair mask.

MINERAL OIL!
This is in capitals as before reading blogs I had no idea about mineral oil. I never heard of it in magazines. When I learnt about it I was shocked. I was shocked that it was an ingredient in most products and I was shocked how I hadn't heard about it before. Most companies use it because it is cheap, it has no skincare benefits whatsoever. The fact that it is so cheap to use but big companies think its justifiable to charge such extortionate prices for it (Eve Lom I'm looking at you) is mind blowing. Since I have stopped using products which contain mineral oil I have noticed my skin is thanking me for it. Out of all the things I have learned from blogs this is the one I'm most thankful for.

This could end up being a really long post so I'm calling this part one. What have you learned from blogs?