Products I Use To Treat My Acne

Hi everyone, 

Unfortunately good skin is something i've never been blessed with and i've suffered with spots and acne from i was a teenager. In my 20's i developed cystic acne which covered my face, neck, chest and back and my confidence was at an all time low. At that time in my life i was very desperate to find a cure and i started purchasing different skincare targeted for spots and acne. Also this is where my obsession for foundation started.
 In the end i went to the doctors which is what i should of done first. I was given Dianette and after taking it for 3 months my skin really cleared up so if anyone now asked me for advice about acne, i would tell you "Go to your doctor" Skincare helps treat and prevent cystic acne but it's not a solution or miracle worker to/for your problem.

I now take Yasmin which helps balance my hormones and keep acne at bay. At this moment i'm off the pill to see how my skin reacts plus it's nice to give the body a break and let things get back to normal.

 When my acne was at it's worst i used PanOxyl AcneGel 10% Benzoyl Peroxide that was prescribed to me by the doctors. I purchased this one off Amazon as it's only 2.5% and doesn't dry out the skin the same. This treats spots and cysts on the surface of the skin by killing the bacteria that cause the spots in the first place, using this really dries the skin out and it does bleach clothes if you get it on it. But overall it works and that's what we want.

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 Out of everything i tried these two were what made the biggest difference to the clearing of my skin.

I am in love with this Neutrogena 2 in 1 wash and mask it contains salicylic acid which helps prevent future breakouts and also helps exfoliate the skin. I use this as a mask more than i use it as a face wash i massage it into my face and neck and let it sit there whilst i brush my teeth in the morning. I love the thought of it cleaning out me pores :)

It's not really fair showing you this as it's not available to purchase in the UK i ordered mine from France here's the link ~ La Roche Posay Serozinc Toner
This is my second can of serozinc it has anti bacterial properties and it's very soothing my advice for toners would be avoid anything with alcohol in it. Alcohol strips the skin changing the pH balance now bacteria have the perfect place to multiply. Sorry that's gross but very true!

I've been using this mask now for about 5 months, phew time flies!! What i love about this is its very moisturising yet it sets like a clay mask drawing out impurities in the skin whilst soothing and treating blemishes already on the skin. It contains (white willow bark extract) which is what Salicylic acid is derived from.

 Phoebe came to say hi ♡ love of my life that one!

 

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector ~ This moisturiser is very light and perfect for under foundation as it contains silicone's helping the makeup glide on. It brightens and evens the skin and gradually fades marks left by spots, i've only been using this the past two months so the jury is still out on this moisturiser. Salicylic acid is also in the ingredients and that is the reason i purchased this.

 Neutrogena Body Clear Wash ~ I purchased this body wash off Amazon as it's not available to buy in the UK i use this to clear my chest and back and it really does work for me. At £10.99 it's a little pricey but i haven't regretted getting this and a little goes a long way.

Cystic acne had taken my confidence away and this foundation give me some of it back! I've only good things to say about Clinique's Anti Blemish Solutions again it contains salicylic acid which will treat your blemishes until you wash off your makeup after the day is over. Genius!! The coverage is medium to full yet feels and looks very natural. The semi matte finish means it keeps those spots covered all day. Yippie!!

I hope i've helped you in some way. Stay positive and have paitence remember if you haven't visted the doctor yet get yourself an appointment you won't regret it.

I'd love to hear of any products you love using for your acne and also leave your blog link if you have one so i can follow you xx

♡

Lots of love.

(Beauty Tips) Fixing Dried out Mascara.

Hi everyone

When it comes to mascara are you a wet or dry formula fan? Ok that sounds a bit odd haha 

Well i've always went for more wet formulas infact i LOVE it when my mascara starts drying out and it gets to that perfect stage where i don't have to worry about making a mess. It has a good wet/thickness ratio lol 

Well i'm already sure you've heard and know this tip. But i thought i'd remind you all how to hold onto your mascara a bit longer when it's going over to the dark side. 

 

Just pop your dried out mascara into a mug of hot water and leave for a couple of minutes.

And there you have it! Your dried out mascara has been transformed, yippie!!!

If you have any beauty tips i'd love to hear them =) I hope this helped. 

Thanks for reading 

♡

 God Bless you

In My Kit (Bargain eBay Buys)

Hi everyone,

When i first started freelancing eBay was a life saver because i was able to get my hands on things that were essential for my kit yet didn't break the bank. I still order and use some of those things today and i thought i'd share with you those items.

  M.A.C 217 Blending Brush £18.00 ~ Left , Emily Pro 217 Blending Brush £2.48 ~ Right

I've never really bought brushes off eBay but when i first started makeup i knew i'd need blending brushes but i couldn't afford to spend £18 on one brush! I found these dupes and i'm using them in my kit to this day! As you can see by the photo they are very similar. The M.A.C brush is better in design and shape but look at that price difference! You really can't beat that! They both work exactly the same and i've never noticed the Emily Pro shedding enough hairs to worry me.

Handmade Eyelashes £2.77, Brown Natural False Eyelashes £4.34, Blue Eyelashes £2.01, 5 Different Styles Brown & Black £2.01, Ardell Duralash Individual Eyelashes £2.99.

 I love buying false eye lashes off ebay you never really know what your getting till they arrive haha If i do fall in love with a particular box buy in bulk because i've made the mistake where i left it too long before the next order and couldn't find them again. I tend to order handmade lashes as they look more natural, i also keep an eye out for lashes with a clear band as this makes them easier to apply. Normally in a box you get 10 pairs of lashes sometimes 5 for less than a £10 considering 1 pair in Boots costs around the £4 mark that's amazing! I also order individuals off eBay as i can get short and medium in bulk. I've linked some of my favorite lashes above to give you some idea what i like ordering.

 I love these pointed 100% Cotton Makeup Buds £3.95 for 100. They make smudging out eyeliner, eye shadow easy and also cleaning up small mistakes.

Rubbing Alcohol 70% IPA  £2.59

I always carry this in my case so i can disinfect brushes if i need to when working from model to model. I never use this to wash my brushes tho as it's very drying and will cause hair breakage to my brushes that are made of natural fibers eg Goat, Sable. 

50pcs New Disposable Eyelash Brushes £1.43

I've been ordering these off eBay since the beginning. I've yet to find a better deal in the shops or another website. They have a great brush head that isn't too big or small i'm currently waiting for more to be delivered.

 Searching through eBay can be time consuming if your not sure what your looking for so i really hope this helps.

If you have any eBay favourites i'd love to hear about them.

♡

Until next time

E.L.F Haul & First Impressions

Hi everyone, on Friday i received my very first e.l.f order which felt like Christmas had came early ( i don't get out much) haha. Firstly it was nicely boxed and came 2 days after i'd ordered it, thumbs up e.l.f!!
I think never seeing an e.l.f product in the shops made everything more exciting i had my eye on the Powder Brush for ages and it is also the reason i placed the order.

Bronzer in Golden

After reading the reviews on the e.l.f website about this product i seen someone wrote " it's a dupe for Dior Amber Diamond " and they are right! I'd say this is more of a highlighter than a bronzer but it is beautiful on the skin and here is the evidence.

Photographer ~ Glen McAuley

I placed the product on Sarah's cheekbones and look at the glow!! This is under studio lights and flash. It's a very subtle glow not all glittery and dramatic, which is perfect for daytime.

Lip Exfoliator

This is so delicious lol it's a sugar scrub in lipstick form with lovely oils and vitamin E to exfoliate and hydrate the lips all in one. Did i mention it's good enough to eat!! Very happy i got this and i can tell you now i'll repurchase.

High Definition Powder

I have a bit of an obession with powder puffs and this was a big chunk of the reason got this. I don't own any powders like this in my collection so i'm chuffed with it. The ingredients are as follows: Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica.

This means microfine particles that set your makeup without the look of powder on your face at all.It feels so soft to touch and i wouldn't recommend putting too much on your brush (I won't be using the powder puff that is for my personal collection) and really buff it in. I've seen the makeup forever HD powder flash back in photos when the excess powder isn't brushed off the face.

A little goes along way with this powder so use a tiny amount to set your foundation.

Left ~Small Tapered Brush, Middle ~Professional Eyeliner Brush, Right ~Powder Brush

Powder Brush ~ I have been looking this brush for years no joke i almost ordered it from America but got put off when i seen the delivery charges. Well it was definitely worth the wait and it's quickly becoming one of my favourites. I've been using this brush to apply my foundation and it leaves an airbrushed finish everytime.

Small Tapered Brush ~ Where have you been all my life?? haha beautiful shape & size soooo soft just like the powder brush, yeah i love this and i'll be purchasing more for my kit.

Professional Eyeliner Brush ~ I used this on a shoot recently and it done a great job off pushing black eyeliner into the lashes. Job well done so thanks for your help brush!

All in all i'm extremely pleased with everything i ordered and for the price the quality of these items are amazing so it's a BIG thumbs up from me.

Photographer ~ Taylormade Photos  ~ One of my favs from the shoot :) Check out the rest of the pictures here Sarah Marie Farrell Shoot

Thanks for reading, it means loads to me and please feel free to comment

God Bless you x

Published Work

Thought i would share a big excitement of mine to you all. I think i was more shocked than anything but it all added to the moment i realised my makeup had been published in a magazine and nobody had told me lol. Well the story starts with me going on a camping trip to Dungiven, beautiful place by the way and i'd definitely recommend it. (Hillfoot Campsite) Mevyn the campsite owner is so helpful and lovely plus the family own a dog called Ben and he is there to say hello when you arrive i even seen him play football talented dog!

Anyway getting back to the point! We went to the local shop to pick up some supper for the BBQ and i noticed Northern Ireland's Wedding Belle

The makeup on the front cover was done by a talented makeup artist called Tippy Logronio Her FB Page and it was stunning! So i picked it up to have a nosey and when i opened the magazine, it fell open on a beautiful wedding i'd had the privilege of doing the makeup for. (meant to be)

Ah my wee heart ♡ it was going like a dinger lol

All images taken by David Lester Photography

Kerrie & Keith's Wedding ~ Link here

Thank you for all your support x

September Favorites

 No7 Lift & Luminate Day Cream ~ This day cream is actually targeted towards age 45 - 60 but i love it and what a fantastic moisturiser to use in Autumn/Winter. The reason i bought this in the first place was for its luminosity i planned to use it on the cheekbones as a highlighter. I was tying to find a dupe for Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector < Link here. I've definitely found a winner in my opinion it's got a slight pearl sheen that isn't overwhelming on the skin and gives off a beautiful glow however it's not at all greasy and i have combination skin. It also has SPF15 + 5⋆ UVA and i also apply this to the back of my hands when going out to protect them from the sun.

Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette ~ Well am i late to this party!! haha one of my best friends bought me this as a gift and i've used it non-stop i am in love ♥ 

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ~ I got this wee beauty off feelunique.com. It reminded me of the Beauty Blender which gets great reviews. It feels soft and bouncy it can be used dry or wet, the shape is perfect for getting into all the nooks and crannies of the face and it always gives my foundation a flawless finish.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish  ~ I've been enjoying this limited edition grapefruit & patchouli Cleanse & Polish so much this month unfortunately it's sold out, but the original will always be a winner to me. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish was the first cleanser i ever purchased and the brand has always meant alot to me. Great news is a Liz Earle counter has opened in Boots Belfast i honestly squealed with excitement when i noticed. lol

Maybelline colour tattoo 24 hr On & on Bronze ~ Everybody and their mum has talked about the 24hr Color Tattoo's. Reason being they are soooo good, very creamy easy to use i apply with fingers they look amazing my favorite is the On and on Bronze. Plus they last all day :) Bonus!! 

*All pictures where taken by me

Hope you liked and thankyou for your vist it means alot to me.

Until next time lovelies ღ God Bless you all

Dr Lipp vs Nipple creams

Hi everyone in September's Glossybox i got a sample size (3ml) Dr Lipp original nipple balm for lips. After one application my lips softened looked plump and moisturised. I always have dry lips whatever season or state my skin is in, so finding a product that really works is a Godsend. Unfortunately it costs £11.50 for 15mls which in my opinion is crazy! Never fear Sonya is here ;) haha I went into my local chemist and picked up a nipple cream called Lansinoh HPA Lanolin 40ml for £9.99 which is 100% natural and claims to be the world's purest lanolin nipple cream. This product is the very same cream as the Dr Lipp the only difference is the way they've been packaged and how they've been advertised to the public.

Both formula's feel, smell and have the same consistency.

I might add that Lanolin is extracted from sheep's wool. Thank you sheep :)

Ways to use:

•  For beautiful soft hands and a calming state of mind, squeeze a small amount of Lanolin into the palm of your hand and mix with 3 drops of Lavender oil. Use as a wonderful enriching hand moisturiser before you go to bed. Or you could mix it with eucalyptus and peppermint to rub on your chest or feet.
•  Use on dry elbows, knees and heels to make them soft and moisturised.
• Put on top of cheek bones for a dewy glow.
• Apply liberally to your lips and you have a beautiful long lasting lip gloss and moisturiser all in one.

Until next time & God Bless ♡