Skincare Extras!

Other than just cleansing, toning and moisturising there are other extras you can add into your skincare routine to create blemish free, hydrated, smooth and beautiful skin. Don't forget, your skin is the largest part of your body and we need to look after it.

Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with the 'eat healthy, drink more water' speal. You already know this and if you're not implementing this, reading yet another long blog post on the importance of healthy eating and drinking more water isn't going to change anything.

Makeup Remover: Anyone who wears makeup, not matter how much or how little, needs to use makeup remover to remove any makeup on your face before cleansing. Personally, I prefer to use Bioderma to break down the makeup on my face before giving my face a good clean. You can try makeup wipes, micellar waters - anything you prefer!

|| Bioderma  - Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - Simple Facial Wipes ||

Face Masks: Depending on your skin type, there are various facial masks you can use to keep your skin hydrated, eliminate and prevent breakouts and keep your skin looking healthy. Personally, I have dehydrated, acne prone skin so I use a mask 2-3 times a week to keep my skin under control and healthy. I like using a Mud Mask to eliminate impurities and a  Cooling Gel Mask to relieve painful, red breakouts.  

Face Oils: No matter what your skin type is, face oils have taken the beauty world by storm in the past few years. They hydrate, eliminate impurities as well as reduce scarring and have so many more benefits, what's not to love? I like to apply rose hip oil to my face when it's still slightly damp each night to dehydrate my skin.
|| Rose Hip Oil - Coconut Oil ||

Spot Treatments: Sometimes there's that one (or two, or three) spots that are so obvious, painful and annoying that you just want to get rid of it immediately. Unfortunately, there's no miracle cure to get rid of them straight away, but spot treatments can be left overnight to reduce the severity of a breakout. As someone who has previously suffered from cystic acne (not fun, at all!) my doctor recommended Benzac Cream as a spot treatment.

|| Clean & Clear Advantage Fast Clearing Spot Gel - Formula 10.0.6 Acne Blemish Treatment ||

The Controversial Pore Strips: I know that some people swear by pore stripes while others despise them. Personally, I like using them about once a month just to get any excess dirt and oil out of my pores. While I try my best to deep cleanse my skin, sometimes I feel like the only thing left is to clear your pores by using a pore strip, especially on my nose where I have excess blackheads that won't seem to leave my face. 

|| Formula 10.0.6 Pore Strips - Biore Pore Strips ||

Well there you are, some of my little extras to my skincare routine, as well as some recommendations!
Let me know of any products you think I should try out!

- Maddison Joy x 

April Favourites

If you're someone like me who accidentally wrote year 2012 instead of 2014 keeping up with what month it is, is almost impossible! Last month was filled with a crazy amount of uni work so this blog didn't get enough lovin'. However there was some items that I've been lovin' last month, here's a sneak peak;

April Favourites by maddisonjoy featuring brow makeup

The Hills: Oh My God. I've watched the whole series before, but I love it even more this time around, if possible. Bring back the days of LC working as an intern, dating Brody Jenner and the beginning of Speidi.

Elf HD Under Eye Setting Powder: I've always had a problem with concealer creasing under my eyes, no matter what concealer I'm wearing. I've tried everything (even cult fav Mac Pro Longwear creases on me!) and this is the only thing that will stop it from creasing. If you have not tried this, you need to!

Elf Eyebrow Kit: This is amaaazing! It has revolutionised my eyebrow routine. It's quick, easy, affordable and lasts all day, and looks great! What more could you want?

Moroccan Oil: The change of weather has dried out my hair, and this baby saves the day! I find it works better if I apply it when my hair is towel dried, and then on dried hair. Applying it on slightly wet hair helps it absorb into my hair better and makes it so much healthier.

Hurraw! Lip Balm: No one likes dry, chapped lips and this balm is great to re-hydrate them. With all natural ingredients, you know that using this is such a great product.

Bondi Sands Wash Off Tan (Dark): We all know I'm a fake tan addict, and Bondi Sands is my holy grail tan. Coming into winter when nights are getting colder makes tanning a lot more unappealing considering you have to stand around naked while your tan dries to avoid getting tiger stripes! I love how easily and quickly this product applies and absorbs, leaving an even and natural coloured tan immediately.

Go To Makeup Look

Sometimes I just don't have time to find new products in my makeup collection and try them out. Sometimes I need to go back to the products I know and love because I know I'll be able to do my makeup fast and be happy with the result. These aren't necessarily my go to products, they're just what I've been using at the moment when I'm in a bit of a rush. 

  

Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow

Under eye corrector: Bobbi Brown Corrector

Concealer: Nars

Powder (I usually use the Mac Studio Fix Powder which I had just run out of): Face of Australia
(please ignore how gross the packaging looks, it gets so dirty!)

Highlight/Blush/Contour Palette: Napoleon 

Mascara: Maybelline Mega Plush

Eye Liner: Maybelline Master Precise

Beauty Scenarios Tag

Considering I don't post photos of myself on her and you really don't know me that well I thought I'd do a tag video so you can get to know me more! Instead of 50 questions or the TMI tag I thought I'd do something a little bit different, the beauty scenarios tag,

Scenario 1 - You have to get rid of all of your foundations and you can only keep one high end and one drug store foundation, which ones do you keep? - 

This totally depends on if I'm pale or fake tanned! Is that weird? 

If I'm pale - If I'm using my high end foundations I like to mix the Mac Studio Fix with Nars Sheer glow if I'm pale because I like more full coverage and I find mixing the two lightest shades is a perfect match for me, but if I had to choose one it would be the Mac Studio Fix because it's a slightly better shade for my skin. Drugstore would definitely be the Revlon ColourStay Foundation.

If I'm tanned - High end would be Nars Sheer Glow and drugstore definitely the Loreal True Match Foundation.  

Scenario 2 - You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?

Hmm, this is a hard one! If it was me I would want to be told, there's nothing worse than having lipstick on your teeth or your dress tucked into your underwear and when you finally realise you're like 'how long was it like this for? Why didn't anyone tell me?!'. I think it would depend on how much lipstick it was and the kind of person the interviewer was. If it was only a little bit and barely noticeable or if I thought she would have been embarrassed or upset than absolutely not!

Scenario 3 - Your not feeling yourself and need a pick me up, which lipstick do you put on to make yourself feel beautiful?

Probably Mac's "Ruby Woo". It's so beautiful and red lipstick always gives me more confidence!

Scenario 4 - You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do your hair and make-up differently? 

As for my hair I would go to the hairdresser I go to now and get a treatment to get rid of all the frizz! For makeup I would buy myself the Revlon Colourstay Foundation I use now. It's hard being a pale teenage who doesn't know how to match foundation correctly - I'd want to fix that ASAP!

Scenario 5 - You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott haircut but they hear you wrong and give you a Pixie cut, Do you a) You smile and say thank you, leave and then call your mum hysterical b) Cry in the chair and things get awkward OR c) Complain to the manager and ask for a refund? 

Honestly, I would probably cry! I have longish hair and a ridiculous emotional attachment to it! Then I'm sure once I have calmed down I would go to another hairdresser to add colour/something to distract me from the length of my hair. Plus a good set of extensions!

Scenario 6 - Your friend surprise you with a 4 day city break and you have one hour to pack, which do it all palette do you pack in your make up bag? 

I don't really have a 'do it all' palette, so I would probably choose the Gorgeous Cosmetics palette I designed myself - It has a highlight colour, two blush colours, a beautiful shimmery taupe colour, a medium brown which is perfect to fill in my eyebrows aswell, and a black matte shade as well as a shimmery black shade!

Scenario 7 - Your house has been robbed, don't worry everyone is safe but your beauty stash has been raided...what is the product you really hope is safe?

Probably my foundation, just so I feel comfortable enough to leave the house!

Scenario 8 - Your friend borrows your make up and returns it in an awful condition do you a) just pretend you haven't noticed b) ask them to re purchase it or c) do the same to one of their's.

Most likely I would nicely ask them what happened to the makeup and explain that I wasn't happy with the way my products were treated and if it happened again I wouldn't let them borrow my makeup. 

I would love to see you all do this tag, I find reading the answers interesting! Let me know what you would do in these scenarios!

- Maddison Joy x

Wrap Me Up Cardigan - Wild Horses Label

AW14 has started and I'm excited to get cozy with an over sized, soft, grey and black grain cardigan. The only problem? I can't seem to find one I'm inlove with. Well, at least that was the case, until today. 

Introducing the "Wrap Me Up Cardigan" from Wild Horses Label

If anyone finds a less expensive version of this please let me know, my student budget isn't equipped for this piece of perfection!

- Maddison Joy x