The Best Of Beauty Challenge: Skin Care Saviours

A few weeks ago Samantha from All The Buzz put out some feelers on the twitters to see if any bloggers would like to take part in a beauty challenge, the best of beauty. Each week she would email us all a theme and we would write about our bestest, most loved and banged on about products. And maybe even a few hidden jems. Naturally there was great feedback and a list as long as your arm of bloggers who are taking part, I'm so excited to be one! So every Thursday at 7pm for the next 8 weeks expect one of these best of beauty challenge posts! 

So what are my beauty skin care saviours I hear you ask? Nothing too fancy at all I am sorry to say. But if something is easy to get and cheap it doesn't always mean its not amazing, as I'm sure every knows. I have five to start with, my deserted island grabs before I leave in the boat.Yes, I did spend too much time with my imagination on this, what can I say?

Bepantiseptic (formally known as Gernolene)

My face is a surface for a childs join-the-dots game, full of spots, blemishes and painful things that aren't welcome. To combat these I use this antiseptic cream. Its the only thing I have ever found to genuinely work over night and be able to get some relief from painful swelling on spots, without a bad reaction from the cream. Now were not talking spots one night and magically immaculate face in the morning, those sort of things only happen in fairy tales or anti aging cream tv adverts if the company thinks its been sneaky. But for less then €4 from any chemist, this has helped me for years. 

E45 Moisturising Lotion

When I think of 'skin care' I always think of my face, but what about all that other skin covering me? E45 works for all sorts. Dry skin, to ease slight burning or itching, as a general moisturiser or for sensitive skin. I have got all of the above at some point or other and this cream was just what I needed. For about €5 you wont break the bank and your skin will be saying thank you. 

L'occitane Hand Cream

I've never had anything from this brand before as its expensive and 'fancy' to me. But I got this dry skin hand cream free in a magazine late last year and it is the best hand cream I have ever used. I would be willing to fork out for another tube when this one is empty. Not only do I use it on my hands - they are uber dry, crack and have a touch of eczema on them - on my elbows and sometimes if I'm really bothered, on my knees. A little goes a long way, its a beauty.

L'oreal Micellar Solution

I bang on about this to fmaily, friends, people in the street. Oh mammy this is the best makeup remover I have ever come across. It gets rid of everything, including caked on mascara. It might just be that I'm lazy and have found a product that does 3 things in 1 bottle, but its true love. I've a full review of it here.

The Body Shop Shea Lip Butter

Ugh I like this oh so much! There is nothing I crave more then this when my lips are sore, cracked and feeling crappy. I got this as part of a set and know when its all gone I will be picking another up, maybe even a back up for that one too! It's €7.95 a pop which I would normally think is day light robbery for a tiny jar, but now that I have used and seen the full soothing and smoothing effects, I would almost pay double - almost. My lips love it and I love my lips, as you do!

So that is my the best of beauty challenge done for this week, I can't wait to go and read everyone elses to maybe find something new to try out! Make sure and read this post by Sam to see who else is taking part in this challenge. You might find a new blog to read and love! You can follow the fun on twitter with the hashtag #BOBBlogChallenge. As always, hope everyone is having a great week, its nearly the weekend!!

  

P.S. Sorry for the dreadful photos I am the biggest boldie this week and writing this post with 10 minutes to spare before 7pm. I'll do better next week I promise!

The Way I Look

I'll have to give you all warning here, this is a ranty rant but I want to vent to the world! Recently I have been noticing more and more negative things towards big girls and women in general. Let me just say here and now that I am a self confessed 'Big Girl'  (bet the title of this blog never gave that away!) Ladies and gents I am a size 16-18 and so the media portrays, unattractive. Let me tell you all, it bothers me about as much as me not having a pet rock - which is not a lot. (Ok I lie. That was a dreadful example, of course I'd love a pet rock, who wouldn't? but you see what I'm getting at.) Basically, and I'm going to shock a few people here, I like being 'fat'.

 Now now, lets not all shriek and recline in horror from your various screens, you read that right - I like being the size I am. As I said before, the media has the world thinking size 0 is the most attractive size there is and that dieting yourself to ill health is the only life style choice worth knowing about. Magazines, tv, the internet, the sides of buses! its all over the place and its not going away. When I walk into a shop I don't see plus sized manikins gracing the walls. No heroine I know is portrayed as being of the larger variety unless its a major Bridget Jones thats-part-of-the-charm way, even then she was only a tiny size 14. God grief, where are all the big girls gone?!

Oh, let me tell you another shocking thing. 'Skinny' girls are amazing too (some of my besties are sizes 8,10 and 12) I love big and hell I love small. Some girls are born thin or with a fast metabolism. Some are born with small boobs, some wont have great eyesight, some people have different coloured skin and some will have amazing teeth. I might even be as bold as to say some might have awful acne prone skin or be really super tall. You might be one of those girls with two different coloured iris or a small bum. I have heard some people have thick hair or big thighs. I have yet to find one person on earth who will admit to being perfect.  Otherwise there would be no market for hold-it-all-in spadix, for fan diets or surgery. No one would need to wear make up or wear high heels. Never again would there be a call for a doctor or low fat milk. We are all insecure and imperfect in some shape or form. The sad thing is not everyone seems to know that and thats where people are getting hurt.

Young and old alike are trying to conform to the media's interpretation of what is 'right', 'beautiful' and  'sociably acceptable'. If were not beating ourselves up mentally or pushing ourselves physically its ok because there will always be a long line of others to help do that for us. It could be a mother comparing siblings, a school bully teasing about weight, a staff member talking about our crumpled skirt or even a friend talking behind our backs. It starts with you. One person at a time to stop and think about what they are saying, how they are making that person feel and how it would make them feel if it was the other way around. Lets stop the bitching, the back stabbing comments and the general lack of being a good person. We are not school bullies, we are better then that. Lets list our flaws and embrace them. We are not robots, we can't all be the same or look as the media wants us to (not to mention the genetic race which no one can win.). With that in mind, let me list my 'flaws' for the entire world to see .

• I am fat.
• My skin has dry patches.
• My hair is thin.
• I have bad acne.
• I have self harm scars.
• I have a lazy eye.
• My thighs touch.
• I have stretch marks.
• I am very pale.
• I like every single thing that I have listed above.
• I am a normal human like the rest of the world.

I have self love and I have so many people around me who love me no matter what way I look, what clothes I wear, how I style my hair, if my make up isn't perfect or my bum doesn't fit in the seat. I am more then what people see in front of them. I have a personality, I have different tastes, I have skills and knowledge. I can be moody and sad, loud, allergic to things, daring. I have fears, hopes and dreams. I am a real person. And so are you.

Thats the end of my rant, if you stayed till the end thank you. I hope this might have touched a nerve with some people, or even just a passing thought. My next post will be a book review so don't worry I'm not going all heavy and deep on you lads much longer! As always have a fab day. And by the way? You are beautiful, I just thought you should know.