The 'bedside' routine

So today I wanted to share with you, what I like to call, my ‘bedside’ routine. It’s my morning/bedtime beauty routine consisting of a few god sent products I keep on my bedside cabinet. I go through this routine when I wake up in the morning and before I sleep at night and I've seen dramatic improvements in my skin and well-being since starting it a few months ago!

As you can see above (left to right) the first thing on my bedside is a little white porcelain jewellery holder. As annoying as it is, taking your jewellery off at night is really important! The natural chemicals of your skin can quicken the wear and tear of even the finest jewels so giving them time away from your skin while you sleep will help you prolong the life of your bling. It’ll also give your skin and ears a rest from supporting bracelets, earrings etc.

Next we have my little Yankee candle, not necessarily part of a beauty routine but something I count as essential. I light it when I’m getting ready for bed as the scent of lavender is really relaxing and soothing – perfect to help you drift into a deep sleep. However if you are the sort of person who drifts off really quickly DO NOT light candles before you go to bed, it’s not worth the risk of leaving a burning candle on overnight.

Next we have my Garnier micellar water which I use with the cotton pads that you can see in the glass jar on the left of the cabinet. Micellar water helps remove makeup and cleanse your skin without scrubbing or rinsing so it’s perfect for cleaning your skin in bed. I use this the second I wake up in the morning just to freshen my skin for the day and prepare it for the makeup onslaught it’s about to deal with!

In front of the water are my Garnier make up wipes, these are for dry skin (which I have a lot of) and are really good for preventing flaky skin, greasy noses and spotty breakouts. I use these to take off my make up before I sleep, followed by a quick wipe over with the Garnier micellar water.

After that is my Bliss aloe leaf and peppermint foot moisturiser. Everyone should have three moisturisers in my opinion, one for your body, one for your face and one for your feet, and Bliss’ foot patrol is the perfect exfoliating and softening cream for your poor feet! It’s an essential after a long day of work, chasing trains and torturing my feet with high heels and drunk dancing! I use it after my morning shower and just before I go to sleep at night.

Next is my E45 moisturising cream, not particularly glamorous but it’s probably the most exciting/least medical of all my moisturisers. Because I have psoriasis (a skin condition that makes your skin crack, flake and open raw sores due to the over-production of cells) I need to use a lot of moisturisers that have medical, as well as cosmetic, benefits and E45 is the perfect light moisturiser for this. I use it morning and night after I shower and use a small tube throughout the day on any exposed/sore skin.

Finally on the right are my Protein World vitamins. I take two multi-vitamins a day and I also take two Vitamin D supplements every day as they have been proven to help with psoriasis. Protein World’s vitamins are really helpful just because they come in a large jar for a pretty reasonable price. Multivitamins are always handy to have as it’s hard to get a lot of natural vitamins (that our body should get from the sun) when you live in the UK!

This routine helps keep my face fresh and free from breakouts and has helped the state of my poor scabby skin improve so much over the last few months! Also thanks to the vitamins my hair and nails have all improved dramatically! Another thing I usually have on my bedside is a bottle of water, I try to drink a pint in the morning and one before I go to sleep – water helps with energy levels and has tonnes of natural benefits, so a pint of cold water is the perfect way to start and end your day!

I hope this post has helped some people who suffer from skin problems as well as anyone just looking to improve their beauty routines. I’m considering doing a post specifically on treating acne/break outs and maybe one specifically on how I treat my psoriasis, so let me know if you’d like to read more in a comment below!

Top ten summer beauty products

Summer is a time for sun bathing, ice cream, days at the beach, beer gardens and fun in the sun. However with summer also comes dry skin, oily faces, sweaty bodies, beach hair (not the good sexy kind, the sand covered, knotted greasy kind) and the dreaded appointment with a razor needed after a long winter of growing your leg hair into a style even Chewbacca would envy.

Also for those of us blessed without the ability to tan naturally, summer brings months of fake tan induced stress. So I’ve made a list of my top ten beauty buys that you won’t be able to live without this summer!

The first thing on my list is E45 moisturising lotion. I started using this when I was diagnosed with psoriasis, since then I have moved on to stronger skin creams to try tackle the problem, but E45 has remained one of my favourite products for banishing dry skin. It’s great because you can use it on your face and body and you will notice a difference in your skin overnight! You can purchase E45 from most supermarkets, chemists and stores like Superdrug and Boots. Get it from Boots here.

Your hair goes through a lot in summer, you take it from beach to beer garden without giving it a second thought, but that much sun can have a lasting damaging affect, especially to coloured hair. Make sure you condition your hair well during the summer months and try to wash the beach out of it as soon as you can. But for those of us who just want to keep going this summer there is dry shampoo!

The best brand out there is probably Batiste which is great for use between washes. It will help transform the greasy beach hair into fresh, voluminous looking locks. It’s also an absolute must have if you’re attending festivals this year! It’ll keep you looking fresh and party ready. My favourite Batiste product is their floral scented ‘blush’ dry shampoo which you can get here.

The next product on my list is for all you pale lovelies out there! It’s Dove’s Summer Glow moisturising lotion. This is a gradual tanning product that you can use daily to help give your skin that natural summer glow you so desperately crave! I’ve used this product for years and my only advice is that your wear a tanning mitt or glove when applying as it will tan your palms! It comes in two shades ‘fair to medium’ and ‘medium to dark’, if you’re a pale girl like me just looking for a glow I recommend the fair to medium and then working up to medium to dark if you want a darker tan. Get the fair skin option here.

The next two things on my list I’m going to review together. One of the worst things about dry skin is how painful having dry hands and feet can be. Walking around in heels at summer parties and sandals at the beach can really do a number on your heels, this is why I make sure I always have a handbag sized ‘heel genius’ from Soap & Glory at the ready, get it here! The ‘hand food’ from Soap & Glory is also a handbag essential for those of us who deal with dry skin in the summer. You can get that here.

Sweat is easily the most annoying thing about summer, as much as we all want to deny it, us girls get sweaty too in the summer! And sweat does absolute horrific things to our pores, they block them up with sweat and grease and all the perfectly applied make up from the morning will ultimately sweat off and into our pores by the end of the day.

To tackle this I use T-ZONE clear pore anti-bacterial cleanser. All you have to do is dab a tiny bit onto a cotton bud and rub it onto your face morning and night. It cleanses your skin and removes oil, grease and spot causing bacteria. It also helps tackle spots that are already on your face! This product is available on eBay and Amazon but is stocked in Home Bargain stores across the UK, so head to local store ASAP!

Finding a foundation that adapts the way your skin does during summer is nearly impossible and the majority of us can’t afford to buy a new one every time our tan (fake or otherwise) darkens. The best product I have found for this to date is Rimmel’s Match Perfection foundation, it’s a medium coverage foundation which means it still shows some of your natural skin colour underneath. Each foundation covers a shade darker or lighter which is great if you expect to tan during summer! I have shade 010 Light Porcelain which is the palest available – I would not advise buying this shade if you aren’t the colour of snow naturally! Shop the range here.

Next on the list is another Soap & Glory product, it is their wonderful body butter ‘The Righteous Butter’ which is a beautifully scented dry skin formula. After showering all you have to do is rub it onto your skin like moisturiser and you’re good to go! It smells floral and is a beautiful replacement for pore clogging perfumes in the summer months. You can grab it here!

The next product is a super bargain, the Collection 2000 pressed powder is just £1.99 is great for brushing on to help matte out sweaty/burnt summer faces. It can be used on bare skin, with primer or over foundation to help give your make up a matte look. The pressed powder comes in seven shades and the one shown above is shade Ivory 18. Browse the shades here.

The final product on the list is my absolute favourite beauty buy at the moment! It’s one of those products you wonder how you ever lived without after you’ve used it once! It’s the Kleenex shine absorbing sheets which you can use on your skin with or without make up (it leaves your make up completely intact!) All you do is wipe one sheet around your face like a makeup wipe and it gathers all the oil and grease off your skin leaving your face looking smooth and shine free! They are a serious must have for the sweaty summer months and genuinely don’t know how I lived life before these sheets! Get them here!

All the products above are great for summer holidays and most are travel sized or can be purchased in travel sized versions. I hope this post has helped those of you looking for some great summer products, let me know if you try any out! Also let me know what your favourite summer products are in a comment below!