Ten reasons why... staying in is so much better than going out

I remember as soon as I bought a new Glamour or Cosmo I used to head straight to the 'Hey it's ok...' section and the back pages that used to have 'Ten Reasons Why', or something along those lines. They were always my favourite out of the whole magazine.

My Chin up Chicken Routine

If your day has resonated a bit too well with the Daniel Powter song, then this is a routine made for you.

The Ten Minute Pamper

I think everybody likes a bit of pamper every now and again. I love nothing more than hunkering down for the afternoon, a handful of masks in tow, nail varnish at the ready and either a film or a good book. However we don't always have time for that do we? So this post is aimed for a quick little pamper to give you that oomph and aaahhh feeling you get after a little pamper.

I feel like this post needs a bit of a background story. I had a lazy morning one day, had a shower and decided to throw on a face mask and opted for this moisture mask. I then carried on with my usual skin care routine, but took extra time than I usually would, and was amazed at how amazing my skin felt afterwards and decided to take some snaps of what I used and do a post on it.

Start by using a manual exfoliater to slog off any dead skin cells. I opted for Origins Modern Friction just cause it was in my shower, but I tend to alternate between these two as they are the two I have in my current collection.

Then pat your face dry and apply a hydrating mask that only needs to be on for around 5 minutes. I used this one by Una Brennan, and I highly recommend it. Then so you feel like you are having a pamper, spend these five minute watching a YouTube video (I have a channel btw ;) or read a chapter of your book.

Finally, get a flannel really hot and steam the mask off of your face. Then carry on with your normal skincare routine. I just want to mention though, that these two really help with retaining the moisture that started with the mask.

Do you find yourself needing a quick pamper?

Laura xoxo

P.S: If you have more time, I also recommend these steps:

- Have a shower and exfoliate your whole body. Whilst the face mask is doing its stuff, rub in some body lotion all over your body.

- The exfoliating seeds that come with the Emma Hardie set are an amazing manual exfoliater, but I feel they work best left on the skin for 5-10 mins before washing them off.

Friday Fact

Exfoliate your legs before shaving them.

Now, I don't know whether everyone new that but me, but I always used to exfoliate my legs after shaving as I thought that would get me closer to the dead skin cells. Lovely thought, right? Well, so I've heard, exfoliating first softens the hair, lessening the chance of ingrown hairs (yum) and also stops the likely hood of your legs becoming sore, as exfoliating afterwards is too harsh on the skin.

Did you know this, or am I helping a sister out?

Boys have it so lucky.

Laura xoxo

Disclaimer - I HATE shaving my legs.

image source

Treating Yourself

Yes, tomorrow is Valentines day, and whether you are into the whole thing, or it's just another day to you, it gives us an excuse to give ourselves a little pamper.

I was going to do a post on what I'll be doing to pamper myself, but as I haven't bought any new 'pampering products' really, I thought I'd link to some older posts for you.

Skin Treat: post

My favourite treat is still slapping on a good layer of the Emma Hardie cleansing balm with the rosehip seeds on my face and leaving it for around 5-10 mins.

I then layer on the Orgins Drink Up Intesive Overnight mask, either over night, or just for 5-6 hours in the evening and then carrying on with my usual skincare routine.

Hair: Post

A good layer of this coconut oil overnight is a cheap and easy way to give you silky soft locks.

Nails: Post

A few more pamper posts.

Will you be treating yourself this V-day?

Laura xoxo

The Sunday Pamper

I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees Sunday as a day to indulge and pick yourself up whilst prepping yourself for the week ahead! Our bodies get buffed, our nails get painted and hair gets the ultimate blow dry.

I also like to indulge in a little face mask routine, which I am going share with you today.

The Quickie

Unfortunately, we can't spend all day primping and preeming, so we have to make do with a stolen hour in the evening, enter these products. Now I don't use them on the same day, and flit and choose between the two dependent on my mood.

I've only managed to use the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing System twice, but oh my goodness, this is just so lovely to use. When you mix in these exfoliating seeds it makes the original cleanser into a gentle exfoliation mask, which I like to leave on for 5-10 mins before washing off with a nice cloth.
If not, I will use the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask which is just amazing. It feels like you're putting the middle of a Jaffa Cake on your face, and you look sticky and tangoed when you wear it, but the next morning, your face looks amazing. Trust me.


The Special Treatment.

If you have nothing planned for a few hours, I really recommend running warm bath, slathering on a hot cloth cleanser, and placing a warm flannel over your face. It feels like heaven. Who needs a real specialist?


After Care

No matter which pamper I go for, I also finish with a layer of hydralruon, a serum/oil of some kind, loving this REN one at the moment, and a thick nourshing night cream. This High Potency Night a mins, by Origins may make my change my who needs expensive moisturiser mindset!!!

So there you go. What are your Sunday pamper routines?

Laura xoxo

I also have a Wednesday pamper routine too, check it out here!

P.S As you can see, I tried to get arty in my pictures, I'm sorry they aren't the best, I didn't have time to re-do them on my cupcake background.

The Wednesday Pamper

Not only is Wednesday the middle of the week, it also sees the end to my uni week. I really hate my Wednesday lecture, it terrifies me, and by the end of the day, I just want to curl up in bed and relax, enter my Wednesday pamper night. (and I totally realise I'm very lucky that these are the only worries on my mind, but if you are looking for something in-depth, you're probably on the wrong blog, and I'm probably on the wrong course.)

After I've washed all the make-up off of my face, I start by taking my REN Micro Polish Cleanser and give my face a good scrub. It is really good at removing dead skin cells, and buffing away any dryness. I would be cautious of this product if you have dry or sensitive skin, as it is very harsh, and I was left with sunburnt-esque skin after my first use.

I then like to follow with a mask, as every pamper session needs a mask. It is currently this REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask or any mask that isn't harsh on the skin. Since preparing this post, I may have purchased the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, which is amazing after this scrub!

After removing my mask, I then spritz my face with my nspa Revitalising Vitamin Toning Mist. I then slather on some Hydraluron, which I still haven't made my mind on, but it hasn't had any negative effects to my skin, I'm hoping it's a prevention product, which we all know is better than a cure.

Then, because I've given my skin a good buffing, I then like to apply a serum or oil of some kind, at the moment it's this Omega 3 Night Repair Serum from REN, which I love, and I am definitely purchasing the full size. I then like to follow with a good night cream, which is at the moment REN's Revitalising Night Cream. I don't know if I'd repurchase this, as I think there are cheaper night creams out there that are just as good. But it is a good night cream.

So there you have it, my little mid-week pamper. What is yours?

Laura xoxo