GIVE YOUR SKIN A BREATHER

One of the best things you can do for you skin is to simply let it breath.

By this, I mean don't wear any makeup. I find it great when you haven't got any make up on, as you don't have to worry about your eyeliner smudging, your lipstick being on your teeth or having foundation lines.

My skin is annoyingly getting a bit irritated at the moment, and I know this is because of makeup! We love the thing, but it can actually be our worst enemy.

The best thing I make sure I do is if I am wearing makeup, make sure I start with a clean base, and then ALWAYS take off my make up when I get home or before I go to bed.

To take it off, I like to:

• Take off eye make up with a cotton pad and 'Simple Eye Makeup Remover'. It's light on your face, with no heavy strong smell. It feels natural and it lets your make up easily glide off your face.
• Exfoliate (if I haven't in a couple of days). At the moment I'm using the 'Clean & Clear Face Scrub', which I love to use to get rid of excess dirt on my face and get into my pores.
• Cleanse my skin, with 'Simple Cleanser', using a cotton pad. Again this is light and gives you lovely soft skin.
• Tone my skin, with the 'L'Oreal Paris Toner'. It's pink so it looks great with my other products! It smells good and makes your skin feel tighter and look fresher. I find it minimises your blemishes quickly too.
• Moisturise. Going to sleep, I like to use Garnier matte moisturiser, to get rid of the shine on my face from having an oily complexion. Yet it still gives you the moisture you need!

And then.... SLEEP! Rest that beautiful skin of yours and catch your beauty sleep.

FIRST NIGHT OUT

Monday was my first ever night out! I can't believe I've been missing out on this for 18 years now.

Monday's are great due to the tonne of student nights around, so you can get a great cheap(ish) night out. That is off course if you don't put your money in your bra and lose it all on the dance floor from jumping up and down... Yep I know, not too clever.

That's what your first night is all about though, you learn the things you should and shouldn't do. For example, it's ok to drink before you go out, but keep it to a limit. You don't want to peak as soon as you get to the club, that will just ruin your night.

Here is the outfit I wore:


I got the crop top from Topshop and the body con skirt from H&M. Two great basics which you can pair up with many different outfits!

Here are some Do's and Don'ts which I learnt:

DO

• Bring a warm coat with a hoodie for before & after
• Put your money in a safe pocket and give your coat to the cloakroom
• Bring ID and make sure you are actually 18...
• Have a glass/bottle of water ready for you when you get home
• Have a great time!

DON'T

• Wear heels! That would just be painful...
• Put your money in your bra and lose it.
• Wear barely any clothes, make sure you can keep your dignity on the dance dancefloor
• Drink excessively, you'll have a great time whether you're drunk, tipsy or sober (but not paralytic)
• Push and shove people, you're clubbing but you should still have manners

I found out what my party trick was... doing the splits! It was so random, I just thought it'd be cool to tell people, and then I just did it. People thought I was crazy but at the same time awesome for being able to do them haha!

I think even if clubbing isn't your thing, you should at least give it a try once. Things are never how you expect them to be. I expected it to be a lot different, but was pleasantly surprised :)

LEARN TO LOVE YOUR SKIN

I know it's a Monday, but seeing as it is my first night out clubbing *woooooop* I want my skin to look as best as it can.

And what better way to do this than give it the pampering it deserves? I thought I'd give this yummy face mask a go, that I got for my birthday from the 'npw' brand, which I haven't really heard of before but am willing to give anything a try! I'm hoping this will soothe any blemishes I have and soften my skin.


 What I like to do when using a face mask is start off by exfoliating my skin. I use warm water and then use the Clean & Clear facial scrub, and gently work it in for 2 minutes or so.

Then I rinse this off with cold water and a face cloth, just so that it starts to close some pores straight away to stop dirt getting into them.

Now my skin is fresh, I apply this face mask all over my face and going down my neck.

What I loved about this face mask is that it didn't go hard and crack like others. You can still talk without sounding like you've lost your tongue! The smell is amazing and there is a lot of the product in this one pack so you can apply generously to the face for extra relaxing and smoothness.

I then chilled for 15 minutes, before gently washing off with cold water.

And Voila!! Clean smooth skin ready for tonight.

To finish this off, I then apply toner and a day moisturiser with SPF in it, and then my skin is all set for the day ahead.

Mmmm my skin feels so soft now :) just don't touch your skin too much or this can add dirt to your face and add those pesky spots which no one likes!

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Today was surprisingly a good day! I thought I would be lying in bed on Facebook and watching movies all day and scoffing my face with thousands of calories. But boy, I was wrong!

I've come to learn that Valentines Day isn't just about sharing your love with your partner, it's especially important to share your love with your family and friends, and that is exactly what I did.

For most of the day I spent it with my mum, helping her shopping and also getting her started on her fitness journey. I taught her ways of helping her with her running technique, and eventually she'll feel confident enough to be able to do this herself. Running is a very tricky task to tackle by yourself mind, so I have every sympathy with her not wanting to run on her own.

That done, I then used my new Epilator on my legs.... OUCH!! It hurt a crazy amount, but hey I now have silky smooth legs, besides the large red dots on my skin...
I would seriously recommend buying an Epilator. I have the BRAUN 'Silk epil' type 5340, in a cute pink and white colour. It also came with a really handy electric face brush with round bristles which you can use to help exfoliate your skin with warm water.

What's great about the epilator is that it pulls the hairs straight from your legs, like what waxing does, however what waxing can't do is keep going over the same area to get each hair. This helped me get every hair and it even has a light to help you find those pesky hairs that don't want to be pulled out.
It is very scary at first but trust me you get used to the pain, and think how much money you're saving from all those annoying razors you are constantly buying! It's even better that the hairs grow back a lot slower and finer, meaning you have to do this less than you would shave you're legs anyway :)

Now onto the evening, I saw some of my buddies from my old school. It was so great seeing them, I literally can't be with them without having a smile on my face. One of my best friends gave me a belated birthday pressie which I am sooo lucky to have.

It's the Benefit Mascara, which I have heard some amazing reviews about and have always wanted to try it. I always get through mascaras so quickly as well, as I just love having long lashes if you haven't already noticed!

It came in this really sweet box too which is apparently from Christmas but I didn't care, it's so adorable!

As I said I would show you how I looked for Valentines Day, here are some quick shots.

Seeing as I wasn't going on a date today, I went for this casual but fun look.

If you haven't already noticed, I like to be quite different to other people. This blouse from boohoo.com helps me with this and it's perfect to wear when meeting up with friends.
It has two large holes in the sleeves which is very different and quirky, with really cool swirls and leaf designs. The material floats very well and the different texture of denim on the collar changes up this look even more.


For my makeup, I went for a natural glow with soft shades of light browns/gold shimmer shadows on my eye lids, along with liner and mascara.
I also used my love of lipgloss which I actually don't know where it came from, but I love to wear it by how it suits my skin tone and how long the colour last for.

My hair felt really glossy today which was perfect for styling with my GHD straighteners. However I make sure I use heat defence so that my hair doesn't get as damaged.


Hope you like this look, and I'll give a review soon about what I think of the benefit mascara!

BE MY VALENTINE

Tomorrow is Valentines Day.. I did have a date tonight for it, but that has now been postponed. I'm not a happy bunny.

Valentines Day can be such a drag for some people, especially me! I don't think there has been a single year where I have actually been in a relationship... Last year my boyfriend broke up with me roughly 3 days before the day. Yes, he treated me sooo well (note the sarcasm).

But do you know what? I'm going to enjoy tomorrow anyway! I'm going to throw on my glad rags and do my hair and make up and just help me feel good about my self. I'm then seeing my friends where we are all going to chill together and just be able to enjoy each others company.

Tomorrow I'll show you how I do my make up and hair, and I might possibly start my first vlog. Although this thought at the moment really scares me, so would love all the support and encouragement I can get.

Embrace being single on Valentines Day, soon you'll be married and will have to be with the same man on this same day every year. So spice it up! See your friends and enjoy the freedom you have for now :)

ISSUES WITH SKIN

So it comes to a bit of a shock to some people.. But I used to have moderate to severe acne.
It. Was. Horrible.

It made my confidence go down so much, I had boys making fun of the way I stood, as I crossed my arms but held one arm infront of my face pretending to bite the jumper to hide those nasty spots on my chin :(

I literally tried E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! I searched the web for solutions to help my skin, and I found the craziest things. I tried:

• Spraying perfume on them to dry out the spots
• Left toothpaste on them over night
• Tried tea tree oil in my skin regime
• Used a hair dryer on my face
• Just used water to lessen the impact of chemicals
• On the other hand, then used as many products on my face I could find
• Didn't touch the spots
• Didn't wear make up
• Got early nights sleep
• Ate healthily with a good amount of veg and fruit

But nothing worked!! Some things hurt sooo much too on the raw spots and I went through it because it was actually ruining my life. I was scared to go to school (mixed school at the time), where girls and boys were going to be judging me. I had a few comments where someone said "Katie go and do dot-to-dot on your face". I wanted to cry there and then, but I couldn't. Other people told me "You have crisps on your chin.. oh wait never mind," before laughing and looking at their friends. People would also ask me if I didn't ever clean my face... wow, how shallow some people can be.

I couldn't cope. I had to see the Doctor. Telling him about this straight away sent me out into tears, and even writing this bit is making me quite emotional, but I want to get this out.

He showed me some pictures in a book of different severities of acne, and I was then diagnosed with moderate-severe. My spots weren't massive, I just had a lot of them surrounding my mouth, on my chin and all over my forehead. Lucky for me I could use a fringe to cover up the forehead spots.

He could see how upset this was making me, and prescribed me with a drug which I think is called Lymecyline, which were antibiotics that I took twice a day, for a good 2 years or so. 

He also gave me a solution to put onto the spots which helped dry them out.

So starting this, I had to put on a brave face and head to school again, facing the harsh comments head on. I stopped wearing the paste of foundation I wore before to cover the spots. People thought I looked so strange, but I had got to the point where I was used to all the stares and remarks.

Eventually the spots began to fade, but there was a lot of scarring left behind for a long time.

So I thought "Hurray, I finally have clear skin!"

But I thought wrong... about half a year later after stopping the medication, these spots gradually began to worsen and worsen again, almost getting to the extent they were before, but I knew I had to see the Doctor before it got any worse again. He put me back onto the antibiotics, but this time the magic wasn't working. If it did help a bit too, coming off the antibiotics just took me right back to square one. I was helpless. I had to be referred to a Dermatologist.

After a close examination of my face and skin, it was clear to her there was only one other option; Roaccutane. I had heard of this before, and of all the great successes it has had, it has also had some very scary side effects. But I took the risk and went on it. 

Some side effects have before led people to suicidal thoughts and the risk of death, as well as other problems like liver disease.

My treatment was to last for 4 months, getting a monthly blood test to check everything was in order. That was probably the worst of the treatment! Everything else seemed to fly by. I had 3 different pills to take each day as well as 2 other ones, but to be honest with you I literally can't remember much of this as I have just tried blocking out any acne times from my memories.

I had some minor side effects like:

• VERY dry lips (vaseline was my best friend and has stuck by me through the process)
• Achey muscles, especially in my back
• Feeling faint after exercise
• Getting tired quicker
• Sad emotions
• Dry skin and scalp

...although nothing else that was potentially serious occurred. 

By the second month I was already so amazed, seeing the spots simply vanish off my skin. The third month the scarring was even fading, and spots just didn't want to choose my face as a home anymore. When the fourth month was over, words can't describe how happy I was. Finally, I could walk out the house with a brave face on. I didn't have to worry about if people were looking at my spots and judging me as a disgusting person. People treated me with more respect- which is so very sad, but my spots just seemed to scare people I guess.

Finally I felt like a normal human being.

I can honestly say if it wasn't for Roaccutane, I would probably still be hiding my face away from the world.

I can even wear my hair without bangs, and for me that is a huge deal! I don't have to cover my face, and now embrace my skin.

I seriously recommend going to a Dermatologist if you have issues with your skin. Even if you're worried about stories you have heard, they will give you the insight and let you know what can help. 

I am sooo happy now, and can even risk walking out the house without any make up on now.

I hope my story has let you truly see how I felt, and let you think twice before you judge someones skin. People can't help the skin they have, whether it is always red and blotchy, or spotty with scars. These are normal people like you and me, and would give anything to get rid of this. You shouldn't draw attention to this and make stupid remarks; just treat them like you would treat any other person.

The one great side of having acne lets you know who your true friends are and who will stick by you through thick and thin. There is nothing worse than people treating you a particular way by how you look.