Welcome to my first blog post that goes along with the first video on my new YouTube channel! In the video I outline my current skincare routine and how I prepare my hair quickly for wig use in the lead up to my first proper outing at Notting Hill Carnival.
Recently, I have been trying to upgrade my skin by keeping to a strict skincare routine and it's the first time in my life that I have actually succeeded in sticking to a regimen and I've seen how it is such an important part of self-care. It's been hard to keep up, especially PM skincare and when I'm not going out and feeling lazy. Though, I am looking forward to trying new products and furthering the improvement of knowing my skin and getting better at following routine.
I didn't show the process by which I cleanse my face in the video, but I use Superdrug’s Tea Tree Face Wash since I know tea tree is antibacterial and Superdrug own brand products can be quite good - did you know that all Superdrug own brand products are cruelty free?
After I've washed my face, I don't use a towel to dry it because I'd rather let it air dry gradually than expose my face to the millions of bacteria on a towel. I take a small cotton pad and try not to put too much of my Pixi Glow Tonic toner on the pad since I feel like I wasted most of my first bottle of this stuff doing so. As expensive as this toner is, at £18, though the first I bought it I got it on ASOS at an opportune time when they do 20% student discount, and the second time I bought it Boots were doing a special introductory offer for £12 (!!!) I should've bought two! I can honestly say this toner is now and probably forever will be one of my holy grail products. This exfoliating toner (it has 5% glycolic acid) really makes my face feel properly clean and I have had friends tell me that my skin is actually glowing, and I can attribute that to this toner. When I have gone over my face and neck (make sure you get that neck!) I go over once again with the other side of the cotton pad. When my face is feeling a bit sensitive, I only use the toner in the night instead of both morning and night. As a stand-in I currently use the Superdrug Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner. It's not as good but I feel for the morning it's somewhat good after having cleansed the night before and in the morning. You can see me batter my face with the cotton pad in the video for over a minute if you're interested in that!
Next up is a serum, though at the time of filming I had just run out of the serum I was using. I got the Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum and I'm now using the Botanics All Bright Radiance Concentrate Serum (£8.99 from Boots) and as a substitute for the lack of a separate serum I used the Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser and Serum Duo (£14.99 from Boots) which has SPF 20! I'm not really sure what effect these have had on my skin, although after purchasing the Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser and Serum Duo I realised the serum in question has niacinamide as the active ingredient. This made me feel apprehensive as I tried the The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and it seriously broke me out. I tried to bear with for a month or so to see if my skin was purging or whatever, but I gave up and rightly so because after I stopped using it my skin calmed down a lot. Noticing this made me worried though I don't feel there is too much niacinamide in the solution to have an adverse effect on my skin though I'm waiting to finish it so I can truly know. My forehead is always splattered with spots no matter what I do so maybe after I finish this and get a new moisturiser my skin will get better.
I am lucky to be adorned with dark circles around my eyes, so I thought I would buy an eye cream to hopefully resolve the problem. I think that the Pixi Glow Tonic has greatly aided the impediment of my hyperpigmentation, supplementing that with the Botanics All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll (£8.99 from Boots) I think my eyes became a little sensitive, so I'll be switching to a moisturising eye cream in the future.
Succeeding a moisturiser comes and oil to act as a sealant and I decide to use The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil. Rosehip seed oil is said to even skin tone which is always my aim and for the price of £9 which I feel is higher than when I originally purchased it. Here's to the banishment of ashiness!
In terms of laying down my hair for my wig, I am too lazy most of the time to do loads of canerows or mostly I don't like to be tied down to just wigs so in order to have a more versatile and flexible hair range. I start off with using the Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturiser, section my hair into two and do simple braids all the way down. I've yet to find a better way of doing a simple yet effective method of preparing my hair for wigs that lays flatter as I still have a bit of bumps when I wear my wig. Let me know by commenting below which easy ways you use to prep your hair, your holy grail skin products, and how you lighten your pits! Since I have given you the pleasure of viewing my dark, hairy armpits in the video, I think I will soon try out making my own sugar wax!
A product list from the video, including links, can be found below:
- - - Pixi Glow Tonic
- - - Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser and Serum Duo
- - - Botanics All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll On
- - - The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
- - - Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturiser