Review: Wild Medicines Facial Steamers: Oily/Teenage Skin and Face Oil with organic Rosehip, Evening Primrose, Patchouli and Neroli

Wild Medicines Helping Me Get Happy Skin Again...

When I was younger, my mum used to have a facial steamer and would pop in a few drops of essential oils to the hot water and let the vapours from the steam work wonders on her skin. I was too young to be interested in doing the same at the time but i always loved the scent that would waft around the room whilst she was doing this.
My skin has been feeling very irritated and congested for the last few months, i've noticed a lot more breakouts and felt my skin looked bumpy since the holiday definitely but I put this down the sun lotion I was using and thought it would clear up in time. Nothing has really changed so I thought about what I could do or change in my daily skincare routine to make my skin happy again - it just suddenly occurred to me that i should try steaming my face. I googled a few things and was looking for facial steaming bags when I came across Wild Medicines; a must have brand for any green beauty lover!
Wild Medicines was created by the lovely Louise Bowery who believes we can both sooth our skin and our minds by using and listening to nature, which is all around us. We all have a fragrance that when we smell it, it has the power to move us and alter our moods... I absolutely love the scent of jasmine for its uplifting properties and woody scents such as patchouli to calm my mind. Her powerful and potent products are paraben & cruelty free and never test on animals.

I have been using the Facial Steamers (£4 for 4 bags) designed for oily/teenage skin as I wanted to feel like my skin was being purified and decongested of any toxins and grime from every day life. They aim to do just this and leave you with healthy glowing skin afterwards which  can safely vouch for! I popped a bag in a bowl of hot water (you don't need a fancy steaming facial kit to use these like my mum had) and put a small towel over my head and breathed in the vapours whilst they got to work on my skin for around 5 minutes. I'm not a massive fan of steam rooms and find it hard to breathe so i don't tend to use for longer than 5 minutes and pop out for air but you can use for 5-10 minutes quite happily if you wanted to. My skin felt fresh as a daisy and totally rebalanced and i felt like i'd had a mini spa session minus the price tag! I think another positive of using steaming in your skincare routine every now and then is that your skin is primed for any skincare that you use afterwards - especially face masks or serums/oils as your pores are open and more receptive to lotions and potions. The bags come in a handily little tin to keep them fresh and can be easily stored in your vanity cupboard. 

I have only just started using the Neroli Facial Oil (£16 for 30ml) but even though I have oily skin, i'm finding it a real pleasure to use. I've not had any breakouts and don't find it heavy, plus the scent it divine. I try to steam once a week and choose to use a facial oil every other night or so. I'm not sure why, I just don't feel the need to use it every night, but i love using oils like this one when my skin needs a serious hit of moisture.

If you want to try these products for yourself or find out more, visit Wild Medicines or why not tweet Louise on Twitter who will be happy to advise! 

Review: MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick…My Cult Classic Red

I haven't always been a fan of red lipsticks, mainly because I found them hard to wear and definitely because I haven't always had the courage to either. Finding the right shade to match skin tone can be tricky but over the last year or so i've purchased and swatted many red lippys and  can safely say that MAC's 'Ruby Woo' wins hands down. 

As you can see from the pictures, it's a very vibrant cool-toned red. This usually means that it suits fair to light olive skins but I've yet to see a pic of anyone, irregardless of skin colour, wear this lipstick and look awful in it. I think it's a great red for anyone. A total classic; it's just what I envisage when I think of the colour. The finish is matte, I don't find it drying but obviously as with most mattes it's not moisturising either. It has an uber retro luxe look about it and I always find myself applying it for most special occasions, especially over the festive period.

 Pucker up...

This is me wearing Ruby Woo, though it has a filter on it so not completely true to colour but you can see what i mean about it being super red and eye-catching. I find applying Bobbi Brown's 'Red' lipliner to the outer lip and filling in before coating the lip with 'Ruby Woo' a great way to intensify the colour even more and ensure for an even fade. Having said this, it doesn't actually need it, I just like the look of the red lipliner under and I find I apply it better once my lips are traced. 'Ruby Woo' has AMAZING staying power, totally kiss proof and is actually rather hard to get off at the end of the night! Try using Lush's lip scrubs before applying lots of lip balm afterwards. 

PS, the best tip I can give when it comes to wearing a red lip is to ensure that your lips are in tip top condition before you even think about trying it or the red will deposit in the cracks or flaky bits of your lip and look really rather nasty… 

Do you have a favourite red lipstick?

xoxo