How to Deal with Blackheads

Hey everyone, I thought I'd do a post on this pesky thing that most of us ladies battle with: blackheads. We all have em, some more than others (myself included), and I have finally figured out a routine that actually helps to prevent them. So I thought I'd share it with you all :). 

I have realized that there are two main essential things to keeping your pores clear: the right cleanser and the right moisturizer. 

The only cleanser I have found that actually cleans out my pores is the Emma Hardie Morigna Cleansing Balm. If I keep this cleanser on for at least 10 minutes, when I wipe it off I notice that my blackheads are a lot lighter. Not gone, but definitely a lot less noticeable. Any other cleansing balm might do the trick, though I do swear by Emma Hardie. 

The second key to keeping your pores clear from blackheads is using a good, light moisturizer, specifically one without mineral oil within the listed ingredients. Mineral oil easily clogs pores and is therefore a big no-no for a moisturizer to be used on your nose.

I have two moisturizers that are both great options. Simple's Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturizer is a great choice for keeping your nose clear, especially if you have an oily t-zone. Another option that I've been using is by the brand Alterra, which is organic and therefore contains only natural ingredients. 

These two things combined help prevent blackheads from forming :). Hope these tips are helpful! 

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Review: Origins - GinZing Eye Cream

Hey everyone! Life has been so chaotic lately, but I finally have time to sit down and write you all a review :). Since a friend of mine was travelling to the States, I had asked her to pick me up a few things from Sephora, one of them including the famous Origins GinZing Eye Cream. I've tried out samples of it before and absolutely loved it, so I was 100% certain that I wanted the full sized version. But I still wanted to write a review on it because there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding of what this cream is actually meant to do.

Essentially it's a cream that is meant to diminish dark under eye circles and tighten up any puffiness. It has absolutely zero claims on the packaging that it actually moisturizes. Now, with that in mind, this cream actually does everything it promises to!

I essentially use it instead of a concealer for under my eyes. I have especially dark under eye circles (seriously, if I don't get enough sleep, I look like I've been punched in the eyes) so this cream is just a life saver for me. My eyes don't really get puffy, but I do feel a tightening effect from the cream, though no actual visible difference after application.

And no, it's not a magical cream that cures dark circles, it mainly hides them with a slight peachy tint and reflective particles. Essentially the cream has a bit of a tint to it, but it also reflects light, giving it the appearance of brighter eyes. It kind of reminds of the effect you get with using a highlighter (cosmetic, not stationary :P). And as a bonus, I had no reaction to it, which is rare for me since my eyes usually are quite sensitive to eye creams and as a result burn up from them.

However, if you have an especially dry under eye area, or you just like using a moisturizer for your eyes, then you do need to use a different eye cream underneath the GinZing one. And if you just have an incredibly dry under eye area, then I would just stay away from this cream entirely. I repeat, it does not moisturize. There's a reason why the packaging says to only use it in the AM.

But other than that, I'm obsessed with it and love using it, especially since it means I need less makeup :). What are your favourite eye creams? 

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Top 3 Fall Lipsticks

It's very cold today here in Europe (almost froze my butt off while outside - no joke), so what better time to share my top 3 Fall lipsticks/lipcolours now that winter is getting closer :).

I know most people tend to run for the very dark plum shades when the leaves start falling, but as much as I love how they look I find them very hard to pull off, especially during the day. So my choices are a bit more subtle, but still perfect for this season.

1. Clarins Rouge Eclat 05 in "Pink Berry": This is my ultimate fall/autumn lipstick. I wear it religiously when it gets cold outside because it's just the perfect 'raspberry/berry red'. It's incredibly pigmented, but can be worn lightly or built up. It also wears for a long time and leaves a nice stain to the lips. It's also not too drying. It's finish has a hint of a sheen, but not too much. It's great for anybody whose scared to wear red lipstick because this colour is not so in your face and is just a lot easier to wear. It's even ok to wear during the daytime. Overall, I just love lipsticks by Clarins. They have the best lipstick formulations!

2. Maybelline Color Sensational in "Intense Pink": This was a recent find for me and I'm already inseparable from it. I'm not sure why it's called 'Intense Pink' since there's nothing intense about it, but it's just the perfect natural, warm pink. It's almost like "your lips but better", but a tiny bit more pink. It's very creamy, yet quite pigmented. This is just the perfect shade of pink for fall.

3. Rimmel Apocalips in "Nude Eclipse": Gotta have a nude ready for fall! And there's nothing more pigmented and long lasting than the Rimmel Apocolips. 'Nude Eclipse' is the ultimate nude and might not suit everyone. But if you love nudes and they suit you, you'll love this lip lacquer. It dries to a matte finish and can be a bit on the drying side, but it's completely worth it!

Hope everyone can go check out and swatch these lipsticks, especially the Clarins one! Now I'd like to know: what are your favourite lipsticks for fall/autumn? :) 

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Review: GlamGlow - SuperMud

Hey everyone! I thought I'd do another review today on a very well known product: the Glamglow Supermud. A very expensive mask ($65) that everyone loves to use, even celebrities...

I'm going to start off this review by being very frank: I've suffered from terrible blackheads since I can remember, and sadly you cannot change the size of your pores since they are determined by genetics (thanks mom and dad). Mine are actually big enough to pass for freckles, no joke. I've tried everything to try and reduce them - from nose strips (ouch!), to facial extracts (double ouch!). Needless to say, I was getting slightly frustrated with my nose. So when I heard about this mask, I thought it would be the cure to all my frustrations. Sadly, I was very disappointed.

All this mask did was dry up my nose and kept my blackheads looking the exact same. Essentially the mask works by sucking up all the oil from your skin, but not any actual blackheads. I also tried it out as a spot treatment, but that also did nothing for me. There were a few occasions where my blackheads looked a tiny bit lighter than before, but those moments were not often. It's also quite hard to apply properly: you need to apply a thin layer, but not too thin and not too thick.

However, when my boyfriend tried it out (curiosity got the best of him), it actually worked quite well! I don't know if you need to have a certain size of pores for it to work, but it's definitely not a product that'll work for everyone. And it just diminished the appearance of the pores for him, it didn't actually remove any blackheads. If are you thinking about it buying it, I would definitely recommend first trying out a sample to see if it really works for you. It would also be more suited for those with very oily skin, not normal or dry.

Here are some pictures of the mask working. I was slightly embarrassed at the idea of posting them, but I figured it would probably be the most helpful for those who want an idea of how it works:

Before:

During:

After:

I hope this review has been helpful! Let me know in the comments what you do to treat your blackheads :). My current favourite method is using the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm.

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Review: Emma Hardie - Moringa Cleansing Balm

I have been waiting ages to post a review up on this oh-so hyped up cleansing balm! But as a proper beauty blogger, I wanted to give it a proper 2 month trial phase before giving a conclusive verdict. I had been wanting to get for ages, but only caved when my Clarins Cleansing Milk was empty and the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm had gone on sale on FeelUnique. After all, who can say no to a discount??

After several weeks of using this cleanser, I can officially declare it to be my holy grail cleanser. I know, big statement to make, but it's true! It is the ultimate cleanser because it acts as a cleanser AND as a moisturizer. It's just the perfect thing to use when you want clean and balance out your skin.

Yes, it is quite expensive ($56 full price on FeelUnique), but I do think it's worth every penny. I always look forward to using at night when I want to relax and pamper my skin. Every other cleanser on the market will strip your skin of moisture, whereas this one somehow cleans it and injects moisture back into the skin. This has really helped me with some dry patches I couldn't get rid of before, while also helping my face stay clear of spots. And the best part is that it's for all skin types (yes, even for us oily gals). I was very worried about using this on my nose in particular because the balm essentially becomes an oil when it touches your skin, but oddly enough it actually cleaned out my black heads rather than making them darker.

Also, I do have four tips regarding application for this balm:
1) If you want to avoid using it up quickly, make sure your face is damp before applying. You end up using less with this technique. 
2) If you want to get more moisture out of the balm, use it only a dry face. You will end up using up more product, but with this technique you get more benefits for your skin.
3) Leave the cleanser on for 10 minutes if possible, this way it also acts like a moisturizing mask. 
4) Wipe it off with a slightly damp towel or muslin cloth, and make sure to leave a little bit of residue so that you can just pat the remaining bit into the skin. 

What else can I say about this cleansing balm? It's amazing and it also smells amazing. Highly recommend it!  

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