Oily Skin Tips..

So.. oily skin.. eww
Some of you out there are blessed with normal skin, the skin that is neither oily nor dry. Neither pink or yellow untertones.. it's pure perfection. I've worked on a few normal skins before and I have to say.. I was jealous lol because I am one of those people who have the very.. very.. VERY.. oily skin :(
It happens tho.. growing up and becoming a "lady" shit changes and we have to deal with it all.

What is Oily Skin:
Oily skin is usually dull looking with enlarged/coarse pores and more than often have those horrible blemishes that are almost impossible to hide!
The sebaceous glands (where oil is produced) is overactive and produces more oil than it's suppose to.

How Does it Start:
Oily skin can come from MANY different things.
The most common being hereditary. If your parents grew up with oily or acne prone skin then it will more than likely pass down to you.

Your diet is another issue. If you eat fatty foods, deep fried or just foods that contain alot of oil themselves then your not doing your skin any good. Include fruit, vegetables and most definitely WATER in to your daily routine.

Birth control pills and Hormone levels.. don't get me started. We're all girls here.. so we know what we go through every month. But hormones do play a big part as well. If your taking birth control pills then be sure it is the right one for you. Usually when your doctor proscribes one to you, after the first three months you'll see the positives and the negatives of it and can change to a different one.

Lastly, skin products. Dry/normal/combination/oily no matter where you shop for skin care, you must make sure you're buying the right products for your skin type.

Products I use & Highly Recommend:

Cleansers -

Neutrogena 2 in 1 Face Wash & Mask
Use morning & Night, it really does make a difference! I've heard nothing but good reviews!

Lush Dark Angels -
Use 2-3 times a week depending on the oiliness. It clears your complexion!

Toners-

Lush Tea Tree Water -
Use after cleansing with a cotton pad or just spray it on your face. It's refreshing and makes you feel that little bit cleaner.

Clinique #4 Clarifying Lotion-

Use after cleansing. I use to use this when I was a teenager, but I still recommend it even though I use Lush now.

Blotting Papers & Pore Minimiser-

Nivea Mattifying Gel Cream-

Use this before primer/foundation. This is amazing for a supermarket product! 

Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets-
Carry these with you during the day just to touch up your t-zone.

Primers -

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer-

Use after skin care and before foundation. I've only ever used a sample of this and I loved it! I'm trying to get my hands on a full size.

Napoleon Perdis Calming Primer (for redness)-

I.love.this.stuff!! Definitely counteracts the redness and does the job!

Moisturisers-

Nivea Daily Essentials Oil Free Moisturiser-
Use after toner. I love this! It's so light and fresh.

Lush Enzymion-
Perfect for oily skin. It's fat free, so no oils etc. 

Well, sorry this post is so long :s
But I hope it's helped atleast one person. I'm always trying new products and reading reviews. If you've done a post similar or have any products to add, link them below I'd love to read them!! :)

A blog I'm loving..

So we all have those blogs we stalk VERY regularly....

This one is by far my favourite!
I check her blog out daily and haven't been disappointed once!

Her blog's called Killer Colours, she's Swedish and extremely talented!

She blogs daily! (I wish I had that sort of time) She writes about different beauty brands, occasional clothing, fragrances, amazing makeup looks, and what I love the most is she's completely against brands with animal testing. (aren't we all)
This I found out from her Facebook page.. apparently Benefit Cosmetics brushes contain animal hair!! :(
Also the theory that how MAC Cosmetics has now branched out into China, animal testing is now being performed. So.. who knows what's really going on.. but if it is.. I refuse to buy MAC products in the future.

ANYHOO..

Here's a link to her blog:
http://rodeo.net/killercolours/

Here's some of her work for you to check out as well :)

Green Tea..

Hey all :) 

So I am aware this is a random post lol...

But Green Tea is something I love and swear by, I could seriously live off of it..forever! 

I'm always looking for new 'healthy/dietary' type of things to try out and Green Tea for weight loss came to my attention about 3 years ago. I was 17 and yea.. I had some puppy fat on me and the whole self esteem issue grew on me and one day I just got up, went for a run and ate healthy from that day onwards. This resulted in loosing 7kgs over 4 weeks!!
I have no significant proof.. but I honestly think it was all thanks to GREEN TEA!!

Weight loss:
Green tea is know to help fasten your metabolism which means your body digests food quicker. This isn't always a good thing, it means your body is not as efficient as a person with say a normal or slow metabolism. Basically from the food you eat, your body isn't getting as much energy as it should be.
But.. I think thats where exercising and a well balanced diet comes in. By just drinking Green Tea your not getting all the benefits you should be.

Health Benefits:
Green Tea is high in antioxidants which can help prevent the growth of cancer cells. It's also known to lower cholesterol levels and the growth of blood clots which is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
(This here amazes me) ..Tooth decay. Green tea actually fights the bacteria that causes dental plaque.

Skin/Body:
We've all seen on the market these days green tea is now in deodorants, moisturisers, body washes, shampoos EVERYTHING! It's known to help rejuvenate the skin, giving it a healthy glow. Mature age skin may feel the need to use it as appose to younger skin.

Negatives:
Side effects include insomnia considering green tea does contain caffeine. I wouldn't recommend drinking it late at night.

Serving:
I drink at least 4-6 cups of green tea a day. I drink it with a tea spoon of honey.. because alone.. green tea isn't the BEST taste lol. But you can also buy tea bags which are infused with lemon, ginger, apple etc.

So I don't know how people will feel on this topic, but if there is anyone who has had personal experiences with Green Tea good/bad feel free to share! I'd love to hear what other people think.

Thanks :) x