My Morning Facial Skin-care Routine

Good evening lovelies, 




Winter is officially here! I wish the whole year would be sea, sand & sun :( 
As much I as I love summer, I still feel excited with the weather changes between each season. 


(Guys, please note that I have started this post about a month ago :( and I never got the chance to post it. this is very old, and late, so am sorry for all the lovely girls that I have promised this earlier)

I love getting out my leather jackets and elegant coats. My cosy boots and warm gloves. Aaaaahhhh, it's still very soothing, and comfy in-front of our fireplace with a delicious cup of hot cocoa and a couple of marshmallows melted in it :D

So with all these changes, comes a very important ONE... 
My daily facial skin care routine, wooohhhoooo :S :S :S


You should all know by now how important it is to establish a proper daily care for your face. And you should all know that this routine should be different according to each season. 


 Today, of course, I will tell you guys how I try hard to keep my skin moisturized, pimple free & as healthy looking as possible. 


 A little bit about my skin type. 


I have combination skin. Naturally I don't have pimples and don't usually break out. It's a bless I guess :)


My skin acts pretty weird, it's normal that this happens, but in a weird way I guess, lol


In the summer times, my face seems to be oily (specially sweaty) all over and not just in the combo. Skin's conventional T-zone.  
On the not so hot days, like spring and flowers and stuff, my face tends to be t-zone oily only with normal cheeks. 
Now when it starts getting cold, my while face tends to becomes normal (not sweaty and oily like in the summer). 
BUT When then real windy, cold winter in here my cheeks turn dry where as my t-zone stays normal or only very little/occasionally dry. 

As you can see, it's a bit of a hassle, but it's so worth it to know your skin so you can use the right products for it.


I mean, having an oily face, for example, doesn't mean NOT to use any creams and to scrub alot. 
On the contrary, this will make the face even more oily. This happens due to the fact that the face feels extremely dry (without moisture & with excessive scrubbing) , so it works more to try and produce more moisture (hence the oil :D ) to substitute for what it's lacking.


Where as, having a dry face doesn't also mean splatting lots of heavy face creams and avoiding facial washes and so on. 
This is also bad, as it will clog your pours and will result in breakouts and dull looking skin. So know your skin and WORK ON IT! 


 Quick fact:

• we are all born with normal skin (which is perfect skin) but as we grown up and get exposed to different environmental conditions, and changes, our face skin also changes with that :(  don't we all want baby soft face skin (and baby soft butts too, haha)

I like to start with a gentle facial polish or a cleanser. It's not really scrubbing but about products that have much softer, gently ex-foliating facial beads. Am a great fan of St.Ives daily facial cleanser. I like both the Invigorating and renewing. I am currently using the renewing skin.


As a personal preference, I do not like using facial washes in the morning, because I use them at night!
I think it's too much tampering with my skin's natural moisture.
Also, as I wash it at night & put creams & what not, I go to bed after. I mean, It's not like it get dirty so it would need a soapy wash in the morning (I prefer soap free washes). The Cleanser/soft scrub is then just enough :)

I cant stress enough how much I love this, it never dries my skin & really is invigorating :D

After that, I pat dry my face and I ALWAYS,MUST, ALWAYS USE ROSE WATER (or a tonner if u wish) on my face. I cant stress how useful & important this is to use whenever you wash your face (specially with warm water)

Quick Fact:

Rose water works on your face as a tonner (even better as pure rose water has not alcohol and is even cheaper). 

A tonner is used to help close your facial pores after using warm water and cleansing products.

it's important to close your pores back to their normal size, after washing, because if left opened it will:

• collect more dirt & germs, i.e. breakouts
• it will absorb more of which ever face products you put after, again breakout and heavy/dull looking skin
• will age faster and it contributes to having permanent large pores
• it will lead to dry skin easily.

I never tried doing my own, I always buy it, but you can find some recipes online 2 how to make your own :)

For easy application, I like to put my rose water in a spritz thingy, and after each wash I spray and leave it on my face & neck until it dry. This only takes less than a minuet to dry & the tight, clean sensation is wonderful

Now it's time to replenish lost moisture.....I like to use a face serum and them a facial cream/lotion.

I AM SO IN-LOVE WITH LIERAC Exclusive Active Serum Wrinkle Filling Face Serum.

yes, it says a wrinkle filing serum, and no it's not only for mature skin. (as long as it doesn't say lifting & stretching & stuff :D )

Before I tell you about this, let me first point out one thing.......

Products for mature skin, doesn't mean for old skin. The main reason for wrinkly skin in dehydration. that's why even 20 year olds have fine lines under their eyes. Because it's dry, Not because they are old :D

so products that are made for "mature skin" are basically products for dry skin :D

This stuff is made from a 10% concentration of B-relaxor Complex, a botox like compound. it make my face feels soooooooooo amazing. Its Pricey though (for almost a $100 :s :s :s), but its incredible.

I even use it under my eyes, and the little crow feet under my eyes (unfortunately I have a little of them when I smile), just after one week of use, they became way better, almost even invisible

even those little expression lines beside my mouth, GONE :D

I didn't buy this though, my dad got it for me as a gift, yaaaaay, thanks daddy :D


Tell you something, you do not have to use serums. it's a bonus. Not before you are 25 I guess, and even if you are to use them, you so DONT have to buy expensive ones.

I Love Soap & Glory's Rejuvenating face serum it's about £12 and it's wounderful. you can read my review about it here S&G Product Review


NOWWWW, Face moisturiser :D
I Love S&G's Glow Job, again it's reviewed here S&G Product Review, I also really like Botanics range from Boots. I currently have the one with Marshmallows, their skin calming cream I believe.

As a matter of fact, Garnier makes some pretty nice, moisturising ones. I have tried their Fresh Skin essentials range. 
They have decent products even though I feel that their facial wash is a bit harsh on my skin in the winter times. 


Their 24hrs hydrating day care cream in lovely for this cold weather. very nourishing and it's all my skin needs, even enough without a serum. 


Try their night cream for combination skin, I think (not sure) it's the one from their essential range as well. I can't seem to remember it's name, let me know if you know what am talking about :S

Garnier toner & day cream

So to sum it up about the Garnier Fresh range products, I Like their

1-Day Cream
2-Grape water tonner (gives a nice tight feeling to the skin, excellent for summer times)
3-Makeup remover (it's fine, but a but hard to take off all my mascara with) 


I would like to note here that, I do have a combo skin, but with the Garnier products for combination & normal skin, they feel somehow drying in the winter times. 
I like to switch to their Soft Essentials range (the pink ones) for dry & sensitive skin. I only experience this with those products only. 
I mean, the Soft Essentials feel just right for my skin in this cold weather :)

Almost, done...


I just need a little bit of under eye cream. This is very important, as it really helps with fighting small fine under eye lines. 
It also makes make-up application, like primers & concealers, glide on easily and establishes a good base for them.

My Favourites are:

• Botanics organic face moisturising eye cream (yes it says face & eyes but its for the eyes :D )

• REN Active 7 radiant eye gel (I have a few free samples of this one, it's pricey, but I didn't have to but it, yaay)

• and, Garnier Essential regenerating eye cream (cheap AND GOOOOOD, excellent under make-up)

Let me tell you pretties a little more about how I like to "save my skin". 


 when I do get a nasty pimple or two, I like to use.....

From left to right,
1- The tea tree & witch hazel night treatment gel is awesome. I apply it at night all over my face after cleansing, and that does it! 
For those of you lucky enough to have a Boots pharmacy (UK/English Pharmacy, but still available in some of the Arab countries), GO AND EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PRODUCT RANGE.
It is unbelievable, a couple of years ago, my sister as a teenagers had a lot of breakouts on her forehead & nose area. she used this, and half way through the tube, her face was already clear. I had to buy one just in case I need an intensive pimple treatment. 


I heard their facial wash, scrub and make-up removing pads are amazing as well, not to mention that it's also very pocket friendly :D


2- The tea tree & witch hazel night & DAY treatment stick, this is so handy. I like to keep this in my make-up purse in my bag. Whenever I get a break out I use the night & day part as appropriate, and somehow, the little sucker's size gets smaller, and smaller, and the next day, taaddaaaa, GONE! no jokes, it's that good & fast. (it does say fast action on it)


3- Dr Murad Blemish spot treatment, this is also good, though after experiencing with the Boots range, I don't think I would have bought this. the problem with this one is that, it kind of makes the pimple bigger before it gets rid of it. It makes all the disgusting gooey stuff under your skin, around the pimple, collect & gather next to each other right under the head of the pimple, then you can be able squeeze it out the "right way".




Quick note: 


The right way to squeeze a pimple out is to, grab a clean towel or a cotton pad, wet it with HOT water, then hold it on the pimple. keep repeating this for a couple of minutes.


After that, the pimple would get hot and the pores would open. NOW, you can gently squeeze it out. GENTLY.
And, please, please, pleaseeee, do NOT squeeze it out until blood comes out of it. this will cause scares.


After all the white stuff of your pimple comes out, hold a COLD wetted towel or a cotton pad to it to close your pores again (rose water helps too)
finally, dab some disinfecting spot treatment, like any of the ones mentioned above.

Quick fact:

• The oil is active against bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. It’s used to aid in healing abscesses, acne, athlete’s foot, blisters, burns, cold sores, dandruff, insect bites, oily skin, rashes, and warts.

• Tea tree oil kills pimple acne and is an ingredient in many acne skin care formulations—cleansers, toners, and moisturisers. 

• Tea tree oil is considered as effective as benzoyl-peroxide for killing pimple acne bacteria, but it takes longer. However, tea tree oil doesn't cause the redness, irritation, and inflammation that’s common with benzoyl-peroxide.

Random favorite face stuff that I love

AQUALIA ANTI-OX Deoxidising Pro-Youth 24Hr Hydrating Care

Awesome make-up remover, very moisturising too

B B cream is nice, but makes me white/Gray-ish so I like to mike it with a  darker foundation to make my right colour
No.7 Tinted moisturiser is it, I don't even think I need to search for another, the perfect glow.

Quick DIY:

• Grab your favourite, light weighted morning face cream, mix in a little bit of your foundation. do not add too much foundation, little by little till you get the desired colour/coverage. Now you have your home-made tinted moisturiser :)

• If you don't know how the results will be or don't want to risk mixing your face cream & not liking it after. make a test sample, use a little of your cream & foundation & mix in a different container. if you like the result, then you know what to do!

This is an old picture, I don't have it now. it feels heavenly under your eyes and works as  a very good make-up base. It has mineral water & aloe vera

I Like this Protective face lotion, belongs to the same range as the eye stuff, but I would have to say that there are cheaper alternatives.  Its very nourishing & satisfying  for my face :D

My only problem with this is that the jar is a bit small for its price, but I have to say that you only need very little of this.

Pure blessing in a jar, if you havent tried any of the Burt's Bees products before, start with this one. you can really feel the honey on your face!

That's it :D
Hope you find this helpful, let me know about your feedback and comments.


If you have tried any of the products mentioned in this post, or something similar, I would love to hear about your experience. It's pretty nice when I can share with you beauties :D


Have a very lovely evening.
Missed you all since I last blogged, will do my best to post more


Truly Yours
Didilicioussss <3 <3 <3

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I love you sexy fingertips ;)

Heya Beauties,

How are you girls and how are your nails? Not in a good shape? Feeling weak & brittle? Are they yellow & stained from a lot of nail colouring?

The solution to all this is very simple, and it goes like this: Garlic, Lemons & Olive oil.

I am sure that many of you have heard about the benefits of Garlic and how it helps whitening your nails & make them stronger.

Quick Fix: chop a clove of garlic, DO NOT SQUEEZE THE JUICE OUT CHOP THEM GENTLY :P, and then drop them into a clear nail polish. Leave the polish with the garlic for 2 days, after that, your old regular nail polish becomes a strengthening solution. The next morning, you can start using it as you normally would.

Lemons contain vitamins and minerals such as; Vitamin B, A, phosphorus, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and antioxidants. They are great for to strengthening your nails.

Quick Fix: Rub ½ a lemon into your nails for a few minutes daily.  Wash your hands about 5 to 10 minutes after you have finished.  This is a very effective way of dealing with weak, soft nails.

As for the Olive Oil, it keeps them moisturized, shinny, helps build strong fingernails and softens the cuticles. Keeping the moisture in your nails is very important as it’s one of the factors that, if maintained right, will prevent your nails from breaking and chipping :)

Quick Fix: Warm a small dish of olive oil (DO NOT HEAT IT OR IT LOSES IT’S BENEFITS) with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Soak nails for 5- 10 minutes. This softens cuticles while it strengthens nails.

Do you want the COMBO?

I have used these three ingredients over the years, and whenever I kind of get lazy and stop using the for a while, my nails break :(

This method is time saving and it COMBO-ines :P the benefits of the three all together.

What I like to do while am sitting watching TV is to: chop  ½  a garlic clove and I keep on rubbing it on my nails till the garlic has no more juice in it to rub on my nails ! I then leave it to dry for 10 min.

After that I grab ½ a lemon & I rub it on my nails directly on top of the garlic. Again, keep on rubbing it till the juice of the lemon runs out! Leave on for about 5 min until dry on your nails. Note: the lemons will help take away the garlic smell.

Then, grab some extra virgin olive oil (the extra virgin means that it has been cold pressed, i.e. it still has all its benefits) and rub it on your nails & cuticles, also above the lemons & garlic. Leave on for 5 min. Then wash with water and a nice scented soap.

Now for extra care and softness, apply some more olive oil to your nails & cuticles. Slowly push back the cuticles. Leave it on your nails for as long as you can. Leave it to completely dry if its possible. Only use a few drops so they would dry easily. You can also apply some on your hands to moisturise them.

Finally, apply 2 coats of your favourite top coat/nail hardener, and Voila.

You are done lovelies,

Quick Fix: Don't have a hand moisturiser? no problem,  just mix 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze on them two Vitamin E capsules (can be bought at any pharmacy), mix it well with a clean something :D and keep in a container for everyday use. 

Don't like to keep olive oil on your hands for long? Again, No problem, mix the Vitamin E capsules with some of your favorite body lotion. And Ta-Daaa

Must know for nails:

• The sun can weaken & break your nails, make sure your sun block is rubbed on your nails as well.
• house chores & using alot of water with bare hands is damaging to your nails & hands too. use rubber gloves when cleaning around or making the dishes.
• drink plenty of water, if your body is dehydrated, your nails will break (so as for your hair and your skin will look dull)
• Food rich in potassium, iron, calcium and vitamin B are especially good for your nails. Almonds, garlic, spinach celery, yogurt, eggs and seafood are good for your nails.
• Always moisturize your hands, nails & cuticles. keep some hand cream next to your bed and apply it every night before your sleep. you will notice the difference in a week or so.
• Don't peel your old nail polish and don't pick on your nails and chew on your cuticles; this is really bad for the health of your nails.
• take some Multi-vitamins, they really help. But take them regularly in the morning after breakfast so you notice the difference.

Did you know?

A healthy fingernail takes about six months to grow out completely and Men's nails generally grow faster than women's :S WHYYYY??? They don't need them :S :S :S

PLEASE, my comments’ section feels so lonely :( tell me anything you want there

Have a sexy, bright, strong days :D

Didilicious, <3 <3 <3

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101 to dry, dull, lifeless Hair

Are you unhappy with your hair? Do you wonder what happened to it, why is it dry?, why does it break? why is it too flat, or too frizzy? Have you kind of randomly tried some hair shampoos and played around with some conditioner, but it doesn't do you good. Have you ever though that hair product commercials are projecting false images of how your hair would look like after you use this, or that?

Let me tell you gorgeous, the answer lies in understanding what your hair is, how it reacts, how it looks like, and how to handle it.

I have made an extensive research, and tested successfully everything I am writing about. this actually came as a request from Naida Mohamed. Am sorry for the late response. I really hope you all find this helpful, and that I would contribute a little bit more to managing your beautiful locks :D

Hair facts:

An average person has about 100,000 hairs on their scalp. Redheads have 90,000 while blonds have 140,000, and brunettes fall in between.

Each hair shaft has three layers, two inner layers protected by the cuticle (outside layer). Each hair grows an average of 9 inches a year.

Hair growth actually differs in the summer times from the winter times. Hair growth increases during the summer by 10% because warm weather facilitates blood circulation, which nourishes hair cells. In cold weather, blood is needed for warming internal organs and less is circulated to the skin.

Most people shed 50-100 hairs a day :S this is kind of scary for me.


Definition:
Hair porosity, Is the ability for hair to be able to absorb and retain moisture.

How does my hair look like??!!

Under a microscope, A hair cuticle is similar in appearance to shingles on a roof. When the hair is in good condition and has good porosity the cuticle layers (tiles) are tight together and have a perfect shape, But when hair is in bad condition or has poor porosity, the cuticle layers are lifted and they become damaged and broken. Thus hair looks dry and lifeless.

Where is my shinny hair!!? HELP

When the cuticle layers are in good health, (the hair has a smooth appearance)  the layers of the cuticle are so tightly knit together that the light is able to reflect off the cuticle. This is what makes the hair shine!

When the cuticle layers are not tight together, the hair will feel coarse and brittle. The hair will then absorb the light and not reflect. This will give a surface appearance of dull and lifeless hair.

How should I treat my hair then?

First of all, I can’t stress enough how important this is, but please; Treat your hair very gently when it's wet, because then It's at it most fragile condition.
Do NOT brush it or comb it vigorously when it's wet. It is way easier to detangle it when it's dry anyways :)

Second, Wet hair stretches, again that makes it vulnerable to breakage and cuticle damage. So if you have dry hair it’s a good idea to wash it 2-3 times weekly. It’s very exhausting for your hair to get stripped away from its moisture and natural oils every day. One of the reasons why Indian girls have pretty long, smooth, shinny, amazing hair is because they wash their hair rarely and apply loads of oils. Am not saying you should do this, but do the math and find out what's suitable for your hair and your lifestyle.

Third, Regular haircuts help your hair grow longer & prevents split ends. Always remember that your hair ends are very old (age wise I mean). So maintain them properly for your hair to look healthy and shinny

Forth, Brittle hair can be improved by avoiding the use of shampoos that contain alkaline or alcohol. So look through the ingredients of your shampoo before you buy it. Do a little research bout what goes into the products you use. Educate yourself. Try and avoid products that contain sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, or SLS, propylene glycol, mineral oil or dimethicone.

Fifth, PLEASE DO NOT OVER STYLE YOUR HAIR. Always use heat protective products before applying any heat source. Use protective serums or sprays. There are lots of brands, to use on wet and dry hair. These will also protect your hair from the Sun's UV rays, which also contribute to dry & damaged hair.

Finally, Using a conditioner containing moisturizing ingredients such as provitamin B5, panthenol, keratin, sea kelp and coconut oil can help reduce dryness and breakage in the hair shaft. Adding moisture back into the hair shaft is essential to maintaining the moisture and lustre in the hair.

Here are some easy home made DIY dry hair remedies:

Milk and Honey

Warm 2 cups of whole milk with 1 teaspoon honey.  Pour the mixture on to dry hair and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Shampoo and rinse as usual.

Coconut or Olive Oil

Rub a little oil into your scalp.  Cover with a cap and leave in overnight.  In the morning, shampoo and rinse as usual.
If you don't want to leave it over night or can't stand the greasy feeling, then after you cover it with a shower cap (or rap it with those clear film plastic wrappers you use in the kitchen) and then wrap a towel on top of it to lock the heat and make the hair absorb all the moisture of the oils. Leave for 30-40 minutes then shampoo and rinse as usual. (ONLY APPLY OILS TO YOUR SCALP AND NEVER TO THE WHOLE HAIR CUZ IT MIGHT ACTUALLY DRY IT)

Baking soda

Product build-up is a major cause of dull hair and baking soda is great for removing build-up as well as washing away water impurities. Mix ¼ cup of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda until you have a paste. When you’re in the shower, smooth the mixture onto wet hair and spread it through you curls using your fingers. Then rinse with cool water, shampoo  & condition as you normally would. Don't do this more than twice monthly.

Avocado Goodness

Combine a mashed avocado with a 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of honey to help condition your hair and keep your scalp healthy.

Strawberry cake :D

Combine strawberries with an egg and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in your food processor for a good all-around natural hair mask

Here are some products I love using on my hair :D

I really like 3 Herbal Essences product range, they are

• Hello Hydration (very nourishing and softening)
• Beautiful ends (so wonderful to restore split ends, your hair will be harder to break)
•  Ignite my colour (it keeps your gorgeous color safe, and even gives it a boost) 

I also really love the Nature Infusion product range from Pantene.  Specially the hair mask, is it such a great deal and for a cheap price :D It makes my hair so soft and shinny, it's a blessing :D

Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Curls range and the Beautifully straight range, they smells like the tastiest sorbies ever. Unfortunately, it only sells at the UK.

Another amazing and very affordable product range is the Lee Stafford Poker straight product range. Also sells in the UK, but it’s so worth buying and shipment. Worth the wait!! The hair mask works wonderfully as a deep conditioner. It smells like expensive perfumes, and the scent really lasts in your hair

There is also another very, extremely, amazingly good hair mask from L’Oreal  Kerastase. Made out of keratin, only the BEST for your BEUTI-FULL hair ;) .This is by far the best I have ever used. I cannot describe enough how good it is. I once had short, dry, overly dyed, and overly styled, broken, & lifeless hair. 

Am not even exaggerating here, but I have used this hair mask for a month every 2-3 days and my hair NEVER LOOKED ANY BETTER. You will not believe your eyes from the softness & the shine this gives to your hair. My hair looked so healthy and fluffy and manageable and everything I ever wanted my hair to be. 

It’s more expensive than the others I mentioned, but it’s so worth every penny. I went to a wedding party, in the wedding tape, you could always spot me in the crowds from my shinny head!!!!

Here is a link so you can check it out

http://www.kerastase-usa.com/_en/_us/conso/home/home.aspx

Notes:

•     Do not use the same shampoo, conditioner, etc. for more than a month.

Always shift between products, after a while you hair actually build resistance against the product used. They then don’t become effective on your hair the way they were before. Have you used a product for long that u have loved at first but then shifted to another because it is not that good to your hair anymore?? Well, thats the reason why :D

•    Use products from the same range.

When you use the same brand of shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and serum, all together, this is best for your hair. These products are made to complement each other. They work best together.

•   Always moisturize

Yes, moisturizing your hair is conditioning it. Always use a conditioner every time you wash your hair. Leave it on for 2-3 min and rinse. Give your head some cold water before you get out of the shower so it closes the hair cuticals, & locks moisture and shine. Have a deep conditioning hair mask once a week. Twice if you can :D

"Embrace your hair, love it, understand it, and most importantly, be kind to it. It's the crown on top of your head." I quote Me :D

I really, really hope that you'd find this useful. Let me know it you have any questions or comments.

Have amazing shine & softness, 

Thank you for dropping by Loveliess <3 <3 <3

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