My Morning Skin Care Routine- Student Edition

I'm going to show you all the skin care products I use on my skin in the mornings- student edition. What I mean by that is that, yes, of course we would all ideally like to use the best of best products and spend ages on skin care every day, but the reality is, particularly as a student, most of us can neither afford super expensive products, nor spend more than about 3 minutes on skin care on those early varsity mornings. 

So let me start by saying that I do not use all these products every day. Most mornings I laze in bed till the last possible second, usually leaving myself about 20 minutes to get ready in total. So usually I will alternate between a few different products each week. So I'm going to show you what I use each morning, most these products are great on a budget (because we all know how super expensive fancy brand skin care products are) and work really well for my, combination, skin. 

Okay so the first thing I'll do is wash my face. I'll be honest, I do sometimes skip this step (even though it's pretty important) if I don't have time (it takes a while to run the warm water, lather it in, wash it off, etc.), but I do try to do this in the mornings as it is so important for your skin, it wakes me up and leaves me feeling slightly fresher considering its like 6am. If I do skip washing my face, I'll use a facial wipe instead, the ones I use are Clicks 3-in-1 Facial Wipes but you can really use any brand, they're a much-of-a-muchness:

The face wash I use is one I always find myself resorting back to after trial and error with lots of other brands. I can whole-heartedly recommend this one- it smells amazing, it lathers up nicely, it is pretty cheap and most importantly, it is really mild and agrees with my skin. It is the Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. 

So once I've dried my face off, I will always use a toner. I love toner as it makes my skin feel fresh, helps with any oily patches and in general feels good for my skin, particularly areas with spots. Toner is also great to remove any make-up that you didn't quite get off the night before. The toner I use, again one that I have used for years because I love it so much, is the Nivea Daily Essential Shine Control Toner- for Combination skin. It is again, really decently priced, and I just apply this by putting some on some cotton wool balls and then rubbing it over my skin. 

If I am in a really big rush that morning, the only other thing I'll do it apply my moisturiser. The moisturiser I use is the Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Daytime Treatment. This is slightly higher on the price scale, but for me, if there is any face product to splurge on, it is definitely moisturiser. I just use a little pea-sized amount of this stuff and rub it all over my face. 

Okay, so at this point, this is fairly often all I have time to do, but usually, I will add these steps as well:

After I have used my toner (before moisturising), I sometimes like to use a cleanser. The cleanser I use is Clarins Cleansing Milk. Again, this is slightly more expensive, but a great dupe for it is the Environ Precleanser. While the formulas for the two are quite different, both do the same thing really well. I am currently using this Clarins cleanser and it is just so gentle on the skin. Basically all I do is put a little on my fingertips and gently rub it in, then with a wet cotton-wool ball, I will just rub over it and gently remove it and cleanse it in. This is great if your skin if feeling a bit dry, so I use it a lot particularly in winter. 

The other thing I will do if I have time, is use an eye cream. My usual sleep deprivation means that I constantly have dark rings under my eyes, so whenever possible, I like to use a super moisturising, thick eye-cream. My under eyes are very sensitive, and I have found that almost all the products I have tried burn my skin there, so the cream I currently use isn't actually only an eye cream, but I use it particularly for that, as it is very mild, doesn't burn the skin, and is thick and moisturising- it's the Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Day Cream. 

Okay so thats it: wash, toner, cleanse, moisturise and under eyes- but only if there's time of course. Like I said, I do get lazy with skin care sometimes, I think we all do, but it's important to just try to take good care of it, because we only get one face, so I want to look after mine.  As you can seen, I really like the Nivea Daily Essentials range, it is so good and super cost-effective, so if in doubt, I recommend all those products. 

If you enjoyed this post, I might do one on my nightly skin care routine as well, but I hope this is of some help to any of  you wondering what products to use, which brands are good, and how to do it on a budget!

My Holy Grail: Bronzer

I wanted to do a quick little post about my absolute favourite bronzer! I am definitely not the first to rave about this stuff, and only got into it last year, so am actually a bit late on the bandwagon, but wanted to share it with you in case any of you are on the hunt for a great bronzer. 

So it is the "Bourjour Paris Bronzing Powder" known as their 'chocolate bronzer'. This stuff is just amazing! As far as I know, it does only come in one shade, but to me its not a problem at all, as you can add more or less, or pair it with blush, etc. to change it up if it isn't quite the shade you want. It is a really beautiful deep peach, almost redd-y brown colour and is absolutely perfect for contouring and adding some colour to your face! 

It is almost matte but has a few little speckles of shimmer in it, which looks so pretty on your cheeks! The packaging can be a bit misleading, as usually I like to go for products with very pretty boxes or packaging, and this one wasn't immediately one that caught my eye, but actually, it is great! The little box has a metallic part of the lid that clicks it closed, which is amazing because it is therefore always closed and there's no risk of the powder all falling out, or the powder being broken up and ruined like in a lot of other bronzers I have used before. 

It is also really big, which means that it lasts for AGES! And so is super good value for money! Inside it is shaped like little chocolate squares (you can't really see in mine as I've used it so much!) and even smells a tiny bit like chocolate, which could never be a bad thing hehe

So yeah, I love this stuff! The pan will last for ages, the packaging is clever and protects the powder, it looks cool, and most importantly, it is so pretty on your skin and often I will just use this without any blush or highlighter or anything else!

You can get it at most drugsstore like shops and so yeah, its definitely worth a use!

If you want to read some more reviews or order it online, you can check it out on the Superdrug website here!


And to check out some of the other posts in this 'Holy Grail make-up series', choose any of these below!
Mascara

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Near the end of last year, I had the idea to start a series of posts of quotes said by numerous great writers, poets or generally inspirational people. I am such a fan of quotes, but not the cheesy ones everyone knows, the ones that make you think, the ones that teach you something, that make me wonder about things I've never thought of before. Over the years, I've accumulated a Pinterest board full of quotes that I love, and every now and then when I'm in need of some hope, some inspiration or something to look forward to, in life in general, I'll have a little scroll through them...

I previously did a post on some of my favourite Jack Kerouac quotes, so for this next one, I thought I might turn to one of my all-time favourite author/poets, Ernest Hemingway. I am always so taken aback by the intensity within the simplicity of his writing, not to mention his interesting and different quotes, here are some of my favourite quotes and poems of his: 

** EDIT: (I was reading this back some years later, this is 2018 Caity, and realised at this stage I didn't realise that the e.h. in the last few quotes is actually Erin Hanson, not Hemingway. The positivity and rhyme of them should have given this away to me, but anyway, she is equally as wonderful, and I left them in because they're some of my favourite little poems.) 

You can check out the other posts in this series by clicking the links below! 

Jack Kerouac

March Favourites 2015

I haven't done a favourites post in ages, and that's mostly due to the fact that most of the things I've been loving recently are old favourites that I've raved on about on this blog for years, but in the last month or two, there have been some things I have been absolutely loving throughout the summery months, and before autumn comes and goes in a second, I wanted to post on some of my favourites from the last couple of months!

MAKE-UP AND BEAUTY FAVOURITES

REVLON COLOURBURST LIP BUTTER- TUTHI FRUTI

I am a loyal fan of these Revlon lip butters as they are smooth and creamy, but still highly pigmented, long-lasting, and have a very pretty array of colours. I ended up with this shade by chance actually... I had asked my mom to buy me one in the shade 'Juicy Papaya' for my birthday, as I'd had it before, run out, and absolutely loved it! But they were out of stock, so she got me this one instead, and I have to say, I am really enjoying it! It is a fairly bright, vibrant orange colour, however, what I like is that it is still muted enough to look good and not too bold on an every day basis. I just love these lip butters, and can't wait to build up my collection and try more of their shades. 

MAYBELLINE 24HR COLOUR TATOO EYE SHADOW- 'ON-AND-ON-BRONZE'

You may have seen me post about this in my new year's haul post, but I felt the need to tell you all about it again, because I am obsessed with it! In the last few months, I literally haven't used anything on my eye except this, or a another eye product I've been loving that I'll write about just now.... I think my favourite thing about this eye product is that it really does last the 24 hours it promises. It is SO long-lasting and stays put the whole night, which is always something I look for in a good eye product. I love this shade as well, a bronzy-pink colour that is so pretty, and a tiny bit goes a long way, so I see this little pot lasting a super long time as well. 

MAC PRO-WEAR SATIN EYESHADOW- 'CORK'

This is such a beautiful matte brown colour, and has quickly become one of my staples. I love just using a little bit along my lash line, or in my crease. It is great quality, long-lasting and while it is pretty pricey for a little pot, it is definitely good quality for money. 

REAL TECHNIQUES SETTING BRUSH- by Sam and Nic Chapman

I ordered this with the hope to use it as a concealer brush, and it is the perfect size, shape and quality for concealer blending. I absolutely love this brush, it is soft, the bristles stay put, is washes easily and is the perfect size as a concealer brush. This is my first realTechniques brush I've had, and I am so impressed, I can't wait to try out some more!

DERMALOGICA 'CLEAR START'- EMERGENCY SPOT FIX

After trying out a few samples of this stuff, I had to buy a proper tube, because it is really a miracle worker for spots and blemishes. This stuff is perfect for those times when your skin just seems to have a tantrum and break out everywhere possible. For so long, I have just piled my face with concealer to hide it, but since I've discovered this stuff, it literally clears my skin out completely within a week and makes it feel a lot healthier. You don't use it everyday, but rather when your skin seems like its about to break out or in smaller problem areas. It is so good and always works 100% for me as it is very strong and anti-bacterial. 

ESSIE NAIL POLISH- 'BORROWED AND BLUE'

I posted this is a favourites last year sometime, but recently whenever I reach for a colour to paint my nails, I just always find myself choosing this one! It is just the prettiest light baby blue colour that goes with almost everything. I also love it because of its amazing quality! It lasts at least a week without chipping, paints on smoothly without any streaks and isn't too thick or clumpy. 

GENERAL FAVOURITES

MOVIES

There have been so many great movies I have watched recently, but I will just tell you about  3 (very different) ones that I absolutely loved: 

1) STILL ALICE

This is super sad but such a genuine and captivating movie! Julianne Moore is so brilliant in this, and it is definitely a movie to put on the list, definitely worth a watch as it is so heart-warming, touching and is a true display of amazing acting an directing!

2) THE IMITATION GAME

This is definitely one of my new all-time favourites and I have watched it a few times already. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightly are so amazing in it, and the whole story-line, history, cinematography and cast are just all-together brilliant!

3) STUCK IN LOVE

Looking for something a little lighter? This is a cheesy rom-com done well, and I really loved every second of it. The cast is amazing and so lovable, not to mention my complete girl-crush on Lily Collins. It is original and cute and perfect for a Friday night in with a huge bowl of popcorn. 

TV SERIES

In have become absolutely obsessed with Girls recently- I had been wanting to watch it for ages now, as I always hear it being called for nominations for Emmies and Golden Globes and the works, so I finally gave it a try and it is amazing! Lena Dunham is hilarious and really makes the show! It is so good, so definitely worth a watch! 

So that's it for my monthly favourites, let me know if you give any of these a try and love them as much as I do! 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies || Baking

I did some baking on the weekend and took a few pictures while I was doing so, so that I could share the recipe with you! I can honestly say these are the most delicious cookies I've discovered so far, because they are crunchy on the outside but really chewy and delicious in the middle, and they are so super easy!

I am all for cookies that are jam-packed with chocolate but you could really put anything in these, you could do nuts, MnMs, sweets, caramel, anything like that, so feel free to switch the chocolate for anything you feel like! You can also very easily leave out the cocoa and add in a few teaspoons of vanilla essence instead if you want vanilla cookies rather, pretty much anything will work with these!

Okay so the first thing you want to do is preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and make sure you've got all the ingredients; you will need:

250g room temperature butter

270g self-raising flour

280g caster sugar

60g cocoa

1 large egg

1/4 cup water

As much chocolate and whatever type that you like:

I used 400g of milk chocolate and 160g of white chocolate

Okay, so get out a big mixing bowl (it does need to be quite large) and throw in the butter and caster sugar. Before putting the butter in the bowl, chop it roughly into smaller blocks, so it is easier to break down. 

You could do this in a KitchenAid or electric mixer, but I think it is easy enough and less complicated with a wooden spoon or spatula. 

So now you want to cream together the butter and sugar. This does take a little while as the butter needs to be broken down and there is a lot of sugar to incorporate, but basically keep mixing and working the mixture until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. 

Now whisk in the egg. 

Next, you can sift in the flour and the cocoa together. This might be easier if done in small batches of the dry ingredients being gradually added and then incorporated, and so on. The full 1/4 cup of water doesn't all need to be added. If the mixture is too dry at this point, add some of the water. You will probably need to add at least half of it, but see how wet/dry your mixture is and adjust accordingly. 

You can switch to your hands to incorporate the last of the flour-cocoa mix, I find it a lot easier as the mixture should be dough-y and thick. 

Next, chop/break up your chocolate (or whatever else you want to put in the biscuits). You can chop the chocolate as finely or roughly as you like, but I choose to leave mine really big and chunky- so I just break up the squares and add them like that, no chopping or anything. Use your hands to make sure all the chocolate is nicely mixed into the cookie dough. 

You're pretty much done now. Grease/line with baking paper 2/3 baking trays and then roll the dough into fairly large balls and place them, nicely spread out, on the baking trays. You can change the size of the balls depending on how big you want your cookies, but I find the size of about a ping-pong ball makes perfectly big cookies. 

Pop the trays in the oven for 7-10 minutes. This completely depends on your oven, so make sure you check them so that they don't burn. When you take them out, leave them until they are completely cool and voiiila- there you have it!

This recipe, for me, makes about 24 fairly large cookies. 

Enjoy- happy baking! 

My Studying Playlist

Hello again

I'm sorry I've been so slack with posting! My semester has just become more and more stressful, peaking now, as we start mid-terms on monday. But I wanted to share some music that I have been listening to a lot lately with all of you, and that is my studying playlist. 

For the most part, I can't really concentrate whilst listening to music, but there are a couple of times I can, like if I'm doing revision or readings, or that sort of thing, and so I thought, for all of you out there who are also writing mid-terms, test weeks or anything else that you are finding stressful, this playlist is perfect to have on quietly while you study, or to listen to and have a bit of a break in between sections!

GOTTA HAVE YOU- THE WEEPIES

OBLIVION- BASTILLE

STUBBORN LOVE- THE LUMINEERS

BE BRAVE- SHELLEY FRALEY

THE SPECIAL TWO- MISSY HIGGINS

HEART ATTACK- KEVIN OLUSOLA (INSTRUMENTAL)

SWEET DISPOSITION- THE TEMPER TRAP

SAFE AND SOUND- TAYLOR SWIFT FT. THE CIVIL WARS

WATCHING PAINT DRY (SONG 6)- GEORGE EZRA

CLASSY GIRLS- THE LUMINEERS

MESS IS MINE- VANCE JOY

BETTER THAN YOU THINK- THE DUBARRYS

STAY WITH ME- ED SHEERAN (COVER)

RAGTIME- RANDY NEWMAN

IF I HAD A BOAT- KAREN ELSON (COVER)

SMILE- 'ANDIE' (COVER)

LOVE IS WAR- AMERICAN YOUNG

STAY WITH ME- KEVIN OLUSOLA (INSTRUMENTAL)

OLD SHOES- ADAM BARNES

So those are some of my favourites to study to! I also made this playlist (well almost the same) on my 8-tracks account, so if you want to download it or listen to it in full, you can check it out there. 

Enjoy and happy studying xx

It's Been 2 Years!!

Today marks the second year that I've had this little 

blog of mine going! I can't actually believe that, two years is a bloody long time! 

I firstly want to start by saying that I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post at all really recently! I keep wanting to, and have such a list of things I want to write about but I just have so much work at the moment and such long days, that literally whenever I have a bit of free time, I can't help but fall asleep hahah

But I really do promise I will try to be better with it :) And I'm hoping to post my jan/feb favourites soon, cause there are so many things I've been loving that I want to share with you guys!

Okay so back to the blogaversary, I love this little space so much and my blog is a space where I really can write what I want and be who I am. I started this blog as a light-hearted sort of documentation, I guess, of things that interested me, or important things in my life. Gradually it's also become a bit of a lifestyle and beauty blog as well, and I guess, really, it's a post-about-whatever-I-like sort of blog, which, as long as you guys are still enjoying it, suits me just fine :) 

I mostly want to say thank you to you guys, I love reading any comments I get, seeing what posts you guys enjoy, and that sort of thing! It's never about the views or followers, because I enjoy it enough to keep going even if no one knew about it at all, but for now, I'm looking forward to another year, and hopefully many more, of blogging!

So like I did at my last blogaversary post, here are the stats after two years of blogging!

Page views: 8957
Most popular post: 90210 FASHION- Ivy
Most visited page: About Me
Audience (top 4 countries visiting this blog): 
South Africa, USA, France, UK. 

Lots of love

Caity