The Steam Room Facial

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Throughout my teenage years rubbish teen mags always boasted how wonderful steaming your face was, opening pores, ridding of spots, yada yada.  I find putting my face over a bowl of boiling water quite frustrating and boring, just sitting there at the dining table veiled with a towel, hunched over like Quasimodo.  But I do however, like health suites.  At your local leisure centre they're not too expensive, and my, a real steam room doesn't even compare to a bowl and a towel...

Over the past couple of months I've been visiting my local leisure centre for their health suite and a swim, and in conjunction with my skin care routine, it's added an extra oomph to the clarity of my skin - not to mention how wonderfully relaxing it is in the steam room and sauna, especially when lovely people bring along a few drops of eucalyptus oil ;).  Before I go I always cleanse my face with Liz Earle C&P and a flannel, and whilst in the sauna I'll often give myself a facial massage (check Caroline's instructions, they're very useful!).  I ensure that the steam room is always the last place I visit before getting changed (as open pores + dirty swimming pool water makes me feel sick!), then I rinse my face to make sure it's not sweaty.

Once I'm home I usually use Sanctuary Therapists Facial Oil; I put around 4 drops in my palm, rub it between my hands to warm it up and release the aromatic scents, then gently swipe it across my face and down my neck.  It I wasn't totally relaxed, I am after this bit!  I associate the herbal smells of the oils with relaxation and bedtime... ahhh. 

The oil is usually enough for my skin, so I don't need any other products before I get into bed.  And when I wake up my skin is clearer, plumper and any spots/scars have dramatically faded.  I love my weekly steam room facial!

Note: I can't promise your local leisure centre will look quite as swanky as the steam room photo I've provided!  And they probably won't provide massages either..

Summer Essentials: SPF Saviours

Banana Boat Ultra Plus Sunblock SPF50 90ml (I don't think they sell this any more, but similar is available)

Hawaiian Tropic Lipgloss SPF25 20g - £7.49

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50ml -£16.85

Riemann P20 200ml - £24.99

SPF is undoubtedly the most important part of summer essentials, more so, holiday essentials.  Jetting off to hot climates is the one thing that keeps most people fighting through our dreary UK weather (winter and summer), but there's no point in going if you're not going to protect your skin!  UV rays work in two ways - as I always remember it UVA = Ageing, UVB = Burning.  Protect against neither?  You'll look old and sore.

I've used P20 since I was a baby; my parents trusted it enough then to protect my skin, and I still trust it now.  It's not cheap, but once a day application is right up my street, because I'm lazy when I'm on holiday!  You obviously need to remember that no matter what SPF you're wearing, you can still get too much sun.  So being smart and covering up when it's that little bit too hot will leave your skin thanking you.  I use the Banana Boat SPF 50 on my neck, shoulders and any other bit of me that's maybe had a bit too much sun and I can't cover up quite so easily if I'm out and about.  I also use it on my tattoo because UV rays fade the ink and I refuse to allow my money to be wasted like that!

For my face, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ works like magic.  It doesn't clog my skin and cause me to break out, and despite its potent sun blocking qualities, I still got a tan on my face.  That's a Greek heatwave for ya.  With it being tinted, it's not for everyone, but for the more olive skinned girls Anthelios XL acts a little like a low coverage foundation, which I love.  Fair skins may find it a bit too orange though... Using other than P20 on the face does require re-application during the day - this most not be forgotten!  I also pop on some Hawaiian Tropic SPF25 lip gloss; practical and ensures I don't feel too grotty on the beach, along with my coloured in eyebrows and a lick of mascara...

Graduate Life

So this past week has seen me looking like this:

And this:

Since being a newly graduated ex-student, interviews are quite important affairs.  They're the hour or so when, if you do well, can help define the rest of your career, and stop you watching Supernanny US and Judge Judy (I pine for my first year when this was my morning's viewing).  I know on the interview attire photo I'm bleary eyed and stare-y, but this was the best of a bad bunch.  I don't photograph well, clearly.

However, I'd like to announce that due to my smart appearance, (bleary eyed-ness) and maybe better interviewing skills than I once thought, I'm now a graduate with a full time job for a company that I like very, very much.  So all in all, I'm very happy.  I've bought a new, very expensive handbag to remind me I shall not be another graduate joining the queue at the Job Centre for the foreseeable future.

Hip hooray!

xx