Anti Blemish Week #4 - Covering the buggers up

Whilst we're all so ready to preach on how to get rid of blemishes, it really doesn't help whilst we have them on our face. So follow my easy step guide to covering up the cheeky blighters flawlessly!

But firstly, the big question; before or after?
In all honesty, it doesn't matter when you apply your concealer, whether it's before or after your foundation, personally I like to apply mine after, because then I can see what spots are still showing through, it it ends up with me using a lot less product than I would have otherwise.

So without a doubt, applying cover up like a pro:

1. Put your base on. Foundation, BB Cream, or just a bit of moisturiser. Whatever you use on a day to day basis as your face base.

2. Pick your poison. Here you have to choose your concealer, go for a thicker one like Benefit's Boi-ing, Mac's Studio Finish Concealer or Clinique's Even Better Concealer.

3. Next you'll want to apply the concealer in a patting motion. This prevents it rubbing back off on to your fingers - N.B. Applying the concealer with your finger helps to warm the product up, but make sure they're clean!

4. Setting. Pick a loose translucent powder. I say translucent, you can use a tinted one if you want, but translucent ones are less likely to make the skin look cakey. Brush powder lightly over the top. Wait five minutes, then set once more. This second setting will make sure the make up stays put.

So, songbirds. Go forth and apply make up like you were born to do it!

Sherry x

Anti Blemish Week #3 - Eat Your Way To Clean Skin

I'm a bit under the weather today, I have a horrific cold and a bout of reoccurring ulcers on my tongue which I cannot shake. I've also just started a new diet which is boring me to death, because I've got to limit everything, agh. So I've decided that if I talk to you about food instead, then it'll satisfy my cravings.

In all honesty, the best thing you can do for yourself and your skin, is to improve your diet. The more you look after your body on the inside, the better it'll be on the outside. 

So here's some foods that you can include in your every day diet which you can drink in teas, pop in salads or just eat for dinner.

Teas
Nettles - Anti inflammatory
Peppermint - Aids digestion, which often causes spots on chin
Fennel - Anti inflammatory and antioxidant
To pop in your salad
Beetroot - Vitamin A and E, essential for epidermal health and healing
Red Grapes - Anti Inflammatory
Acai Berries - Antioxidants
Fennel - Anti inflammatory and antioxidant
Tofu - Rich in iron, good for the blood flow
Tomatoes - aids collegen production
Avocado - Moisturising and anti inflammatory
Kale - contains all of your daily nutrients
For dinners
Brown rice - keeps blood sugar levels balanced
Garlic - Bacteria killer
Broccoli - A real super food, anti oxidant, anti inflammatory, and full of fatty acids to help heal the skin
Egg yolks - Full of skin clearing selenium, zinc and protein
Salmon - Full of omega 3's, good for healing.

A lot of studies show that dairy products increase the likelihood of getting spots, so try replacing your milk with oat milk and cutting down on cheese.

And then of course we come to the tips that everyone knows, but no one ever seems to stick to:
-Drink water
-Get your vitamin D
-Exercise
These, more than anything with clear your skin up and increase your confidence, which, more than anything will help you.
So make sure you get some of these down you, you'll be doing yourself a favour.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to curl up with a hot water bottle and a lempsip, and watch Monday's Skins.

Tarah x

Anti Blemish Week - Aspirin and Honey Face Masks

Pinch punch, first of the month!
Today is the official start day of anti blemish week on Sherry Darling's Things. Since it's summer time, we're all looking for ways to spruce up our skin, making it just a tad more pleasing to look at before we dare to bare all.
Yesterday I talked about Seventeen's new On The Spot Foundation which I'm trialling to see if it makes a difference, preventing spots. I just wanted to say, I really love the foundation, I've only used it twice but it wears really well with good build-able coverage.
I also mentioned Aspirin face masks, and ladies and gents - if there are gents, you're in for a treat because that's what I'm going to talk to you about today!
You can give yourself a whole body make over from your kitchen cupboards, which you probably already knew.
This is one of my absolute favourite face masks to make when my skin feels like it needs some TLC, but it's a bit too late in the month for me to splurge on a face mask.
Aspirin and Honey Face Mask:
2 Aspirin
1 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sugar (Optional)
1. If you have a pestle and mortar ground up the aspirin until it makes a powder. If you don't have a pestle and mortar, use something else, ha. I tend to use the end of a rolling pin and grind it into a small bowl - this works just as well.
2. Add the honey and lemon juice and mix it all together.
3. If you want this face mask to be a little scrubby, add some granulated sugar to it.
4. Slather the mixture all over your face, make double the amount if you want to cover your neck as well, leave for 10-15 minutes.
5. Wash off with warm water and a cloth.
N.B This mask doesn't dry out, so just wash it off when you've had enough.
The aspirin and the lemon juice work together to clear your pores of any bacteria, and the honey ensures your skin stays comfortable and moisturised.
It's a great mask which you can slather all over if you get chest or back spots.
Keep that summer skin coming!

Clearer Skin in Just Four Weeks! Anti Blemish Week

'What?' I hear you say - 'Four weeks to clearer skin!?'. 

Yes, I say. After reading Make Up Savvy's blog post on Seventeen's new On The Spot Foundation and noting that Twitter were having a bit of a party about it - link - I decided to purchase and see what the fuss was all about.

It's innovatively packaged, in a tube with a foundation pump, which actually disperses the right amount of foundation to cover all my face in one pump, usually I find there's waste from pump foundations. It comes in six different shades, I have Porcelain, which is the lightest. It has full coverage of spots, and I only need to touch up a tiny bit with concealer.

What I especially love though, are the ingredients - salicylic acid and kaolin.

Kaolin is a soft china clay, and was traditionally a remedy for upset stomachs and they still use it in some intestinal medicines today because it's main ability is absorption. Which makes this perfect for oily/combination skin as it will soak the oil up day in day out, with minimal touch up. This drying action will also prevent any more pores from being clogged up with oil, causing more blemishes.

Salicylic Acid is another great thing for combination skin, if you've ever seen any homemade face mask recipes for an Aspirin Facemask, that's because Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which is great for oily skin, blemishes and pore refining. It's a bitter powder extracted from willow trees, known to reduce inflammation, and this is what it will do with any blemishes, it will open clogged pores and neutralise the bacteria within.

Both these ingredients, prevent blemishes, so not only will your skin clear up in four weeks, it will stay clearer with regular use.

I'm going to use this foundation for one week and do a before and after photo, so we can see if it really works!

You can buy Seventeen's On The Spot Foundation at £6.99 from Boots.