The Lumie Clear: What IS this?

Well, that's a really great question, and the very same one that I was faced with when looking for a way to put an end to all this acne nonsense on my face.
Light therapy, that brings two thoughts to mind one being 'that sounds a bit hippyish' and the other being 'that sounds a bit 'overly medical'

As far as I understand it is a mains powered, combined light therapy treatment for the skin with the red lights doing one thing (attacking the spots, killing bacteria) and the blue lights doing another (healing the skin) I may have got those in the wrong order...
Combined it creates a violet coloured light that yes IS harmful if you look directly into it, beyond just dazzling my eyes and hurting, it can cause serious long term damage so it is absolutely best that if any light can and is getting into your eyes to use the gorgeous goggles provided (they are horrific).

So, this is what you do:

• Press the one and only button on the side of the machine

• When the light illuminates decide if you want to target it at the whole face, or pick it up out of the stand and hold it against a particularly troublesome area (I prefer the second option)

• Wait for the light to automatically switch off after 15 minutes

• Repeat daily

I've been using this for a week now, of course video recording my progress to compile into a YouTube video at some point to let you guys know if it is worth it's £100+ price tag *gulp*

I have not noticed any difference at all, but it's not fair to judge this properly without giving it at least 4 weeks to work it's light magic.

Back to School Makeup - Discreetly cover spots, blemishes, imperfections and acne!

There are a lot of beautiful back to school makeup looks floating around the internet (is it weird I hate talking about 'back to school' even though I no longer go to school! It just makes me feel gloomy and like Summer is over!)
Anywho, as I was saying. There are a lot of wonderful makeup looks on Youtube that are titled 'back to school' or 'great teen school makeup' or other variations on those titles. But if your school is anything like mine then makeup was a big fat NO NO. To get caught with makeup on was a complete sin worthy of death as a punishment (or so it felt) So while all these beautiful quick back to school looks might be okay for some school policies, not mine. And maybe not yours too.
I've been plagued with spots and blemishes since what felt like time began, although it was probably when I turned around 13. Eyeliner and mascara can wait, I just want to cover those spots up!
Here's how I did it, I tried and tested it for 3+ years and not once did my school catch me. The tip here is less is more and not to cover the whole face, target the individual spots directly.
Also, this is great for boys who want to wear a little discreet cover up too, my tip would be to apply it in front of a window with a mirror so that you can see exactly how it looks in natural light and to other people.
The key here is subtle, subtle subtle. I feel like this is almost a SECRET makeup tutorial that I'm only sharing with a select few!

Just to reiterate...
I use the following: 
Collection 2000 Concealer Lasting Perfection and I am using shade Light! It retails for £3.99 from Superdrug
I'm using loose finishing powder from Bare Minerals, but this is the optional step!

Soothing acne & clearing skin

It's been a long time coming that I've felt like I have a skincare routine that just 'works' and does exactly what it is supposed to do and keep my skin clear, healthy and fresh.

I have extremely oily skin and the answer to my acne woes is not specific to one product, but to one approach: consistency.

If you've read my blog before you might remember this post:
http://www.alexiaesque.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/dudedont-you-ever-wash-your-face.html

I go into a bit of detail about how I often have many many face washes on the go and switch all about to get the benefits of them all. It wasn't until they slowly ran out and I decided to just purchase one, and stick to using that one morning and night that things began improving.

This is a mens face wash, again, in my earlier blog post I talk about why I like mens facial washes.

 It's not even this facial wash specifically that I am going to label 'The Miracle Product' because I don't think it is, I think it's just the fact that I only use this product and only have for a few weeks now, which I think now with hidsight is much kinder on my skin and over time the product is given the chance to work with my skin rather than against it because tomorrow I'd be using something else.

My other top tip and change I've made in my face washing routine is that I wet my face with a flannel, apply the face wash and massage it in but rather than washing it immediately off I brush my teeth while letting the face wash do it's thing, then when I've finished brushing my teeth, I wash off the face wash.

I suppose it's a bit like the difference between rinsing your hair with conditioner, or lathering it in conditioner for 3-5 minutes before washing it out.

In the past I have also been a moisturiser sceptic but I've found this one and like it, it's light, doesnt make me look greasy, absorbs straight in without a clogged or caked feeling.

So there you go, my straightfoward and super cheap acne solution:
Use one facial wash consistently
Leave it on for minutes not second before rinsing
Use a moisturiser even if you have oily skin