Life can be incredibly exciting when positive changes are happening, however, if you’re anything like me, you tend to wear the stress that comes from big changes…on your face. I usually find that my chin breaks out in those painful under-the-skin blemishes, the skin all over my body feels dry and looks incredibly sallow, not to mention my hair which hangs pretty lack-lustre.
It’s almost as though all of my energy has gone on embracing the possibilities of change and a new adventure, and therefore has nothing left for actually helping me to look healthy.
Here, I am going to share with you some of the go-to products, (some old, some new to me) that I call upon when I’m wearing my stresses.
I like to run a bubble bath, light some candles, assemble my beauty army and work through treating my skin, body and hair with a little extra love. There’s a wide range of price points covered here, the cheapest product being under £2 and the most expensive being £30, so you’ll be sure to find something that you might like to try out for yourself.
Starting with skincare…
Liz Earle ‘Cleanse + Polish’ Hot Cloth Cleanser | £15.50 | Cruelty-Free
My face is the first place that any strain or stress shows. This is even after religiously doing my skincare routine every day. Sometimes a little extra love is exactly what’s required! Whenever this is the case, I start by cleansing my face with the iconic Liz Earle ‘Cleanse and Polish’ hot cloth cleanser. The botanically scented, creamy formula feels so good when massaged into the skin and then removed with a hot-as-you-can-stand warm cloth. For me, there’s no better feeling.
Boots | Cucumber Clay Mask | £1.50 | Cruelty-Free
I will then apply a sumptuous layer of the Boots Cucumber Clay Mask. Don’t underestimate this stuff! Sure, it looks kind of inconspicuous on the shelves, but it is fantastic to use and really works. For £1.50 you get get a really solid mask that works hard to draw out any impurities thus leaving your skin soft and bright, as opposed to dried out and sad.
Nuxe | Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Oil | £18.50
Finally, I work the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Oil into my skin to give it a real treat. This stuff is especially good if my skin is angry from blemishes which have been dried out due to nuking them with aggressive spot cream. Sometimes, if I’m feeling extra er…extra – I’ll even use my jade roller to really pack the product into my face.
Hair and body treats…
Garnier Ultimate Blends | Nourishing Hair Food | Banana + Shea 3 in 1 mask | £3.49
One of my favourite ‘stress-busting’ activities is to have a mooch around Boots and Superdrug to see what’s new in. On one of my most recent jaunts, I discovered the Garnier Ultimate Blends, Nourishing Hair Food Banana + Shea 3 in 1 mask.
It was the scent alone that intrigued me as I normally gravitate towards more herbally scents as opposed to fruity or sweet fragrances. The smell of this stuff is INSANE…it’s banana on crack. This silicone and paraben free mask is apparently a vegan formulation and can be used as a regular conditioner, or as a more deep conditioning mask. I left it on for around an hour as I devoured Pat McGrath’s ‘Desert Island Disc’s’ episode and my hair was left with some serious shine and without being weighed down and greasy looking.
Skinny Tan | Wonder Serum | Cruelty-Free
Whenever I’m stressed out, my skin looks seriously sallow, something that doesn’t help as I’m naturally really pale and every mark and mood shows up vividly. To help give my skin a little boost, I called upon my current favourite tan, the Skinny Tan ‘Wonder Serum’. I recently wrote a full review of my thoughts on this tan, which you can find here if you’re interested.
And there we have it, the beauty arsenal I line up when I’m feeling run down and stressed out!
