Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50 Invisible

Expertly protecting the skin from UV exposure, the Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50+ Invisible provides broad spectrum protection against UVA, UVB & long UVA rays. The chemical filter sunscreens included are also combined with the vitamin c derivative Ascorbyl Glucoside that provides antioxidant, collagen boosting, and improving skintone benefits. Included also are the petides PALMITOYL TETRADEDTIDE-7 and PALMITOVL TRIPEPTIDE-1 that both work in synergy together (known as Matryxil 3000) to stimulate collagen and help to rejuvenate the overall appearance of the skin. Hydration is also aided by the Hyaluronic Acid included whilst the Salicylic Acid in the formula protects the skin from UV damage by inhibiting UVB-induced sunburn cell formation.

The full Ingredients of the Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50 Invisible.

AQUA/ WATER, ALCOHOL DENAT., DIISOPROPYL SEBACATE, SILICA, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE, ETHYLHEXYL TRIAZONE BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOLMETHANE GLYCERIN, PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE SULFONIC ACID, PROPANEDIOL, C12-22 ALKYL ACRY LATE/ HYDROXYETHYLACRYLATE COPOLYMER, TRIETHANOLAMINE. DROMETRIZOLE TRISILOXANE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE. CITRUS LIMON FRUIT EXTRACT / LEMON FRUIT EXTRACT CARBOMER, SODIUM HYALURONATE, SODIUM LACTATE, SILICA SILYLATE, CELLULOSE PALMITOYL TETRADEDTIDE-7 PALMITOVL TRIPEPTIDE-1, TROMETHAMINE, ADENOSINE, ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE, POLYSORBATE 20, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, TOCOPHEROL, LINALOOL, GERANIOL, LIMONENE. CITRAL.PARFUM / FRAGRANCE.

Presented in a squeezable tube with a twist off lid, it is recommended to apply two finger lengths to the face and neck. The texture is not a runny fluid like the Garnier Ambre Solaire face fluids that you shake, but more of a richer fluid like a moisturiser. I was impressed with this texture because it allows you to ensure full coverage with every application. It spreads evenly over the skin and dries down and absorbs quickly with an invisible finish! It doesn't leave the skin feeling sticky or greasy and does not pil or ball-up under makeup. You can either use this as a moisturiser over your serum (ideal for summer) or over your current moisturiser (ideal for winter) but it's a great broad-spectrum sunscreen that fits perfectly into your skincare regime to protect the skin against sun damage. Priced at £12.99, the Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50 Invisible is available here: Boots, Amazon, x Neil.

Purito Oat-In Intense Cream

Providing calming relief, the Purito Oat-In Intense Cream is also able to restore balance in the skin by helping to moisturise, improve skin texture, and support the microbiome. Containing four 71.95% oat-based ingredients which are Avena Sativa Seed Water (66.79%), Avena Sativa Kernel Oil (5%), Avena Sativa Kernel Flour (0.1%) and Avena Sativa Kernel Extract (0.06%), this deeply moisturising cream is ideal for sensitive and drier skin types. Clinical studies have proven that oatmeal can provide relief and improve overall skin health especially for those who have dry skin, eczema, and psoriasis whilst also being a solution for those who are wanting a skincare product to support their skin all year round by replenishing the oil and moisture balance.  

Full Ingredients Of The Purito Oat-In Intense Cream.

Avena Sativa (Oat) Seed Water (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Glycerin (Humectant), Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Butylene Glycol (Humectant), 1,2-Hexanediol (Solvent), Glyceryl Stearate (Surfactant), Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate (Surfactant), Water (Solvent), Stearyl Alcohol (Surfactant), Carbomer (Viscosity Increasing Agents), Arginine (Ph Adjuster), Ethylhexylglycerin (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract (Skin-Conditioning Agent)

Presented in a pump bottle, the intense cream is free from drying alcohols and is also free from essential oils and fragrances. It can be applied to the face and body, but i tend to use it on my face and neck as the 150ml bottle would soon be empty if used for body applications. The lightweight but intensively rich cream glides over the skin with ease, before absorbing quickly, to leave the skin feeling perfectly soothed and nurtured without feeling greasy or sticky. Supporting the skin under any sunscreen throughout the day, it is also a cream to reach for at night after applying your Vitamin A to support the barrier function and reduce any irritation from the soothing and calming properties it contains. 

Priced at £19.75 and available here: Purito Oat-In Intense Cream Don't forget to use my discount code: BLONDEMALE1 on all products x Neil.  

The CODE SSL Soft Smooth Lip Liner For Plumper Lips.

Bring definition and dimension to your lips with the highly popular lip product CODE SSL Soft Smooth Lip Liner. The innovative CODE Beautiful brand creates staple cosmetic products that not only deliver on perfect results with each application, they are also accredited as a cruelty-free and vegan-friendly company from PETA. Disclaimer: The link at the end of the blogpost offers a £5.00 discount on the affiliated link! 

Creating a 3-in-1 lip-liner, lipstick and lip plumper, the CODE Beautiful SSL Soft Smooth Lip Liner is your go-to lip product for instant defined lips. Presented in a perfect shade "Nude Blush" for all skin tones, the close and twist lid protects the tip for perfect application each time its applied. The blendable and creamy formulation is essential for when purchasing a lip liner product, you do not want to be dragging or pulling the lips when creating your own specific look, whilst the formulation also contains an active ingredient "Maxi-Lip" known as a lip plumper and hydrator that contains a peptide that stimulates collagen production and helps with the synthesis of hyaluronic acid.

Starting from the middle of your lips top and bottom, the lip liner applies perfectly using short strokes with little pressure needed for a natural colour pay-off. Proceeding to draw vertical lines on both the lips will help take advantage of that active ingredient, before rubbing the lips together for an all-over colour and perfect base for your current lipstick, gloss, or the other highly popular lip product from CODE Beautiful CODE LIP. Applying a lip liner is a well-known technique that will help prolong the application of your lip colour by preventing the colour from bleeding and feathering, whilst also applying as a base to the lips will also help adhere any product applied after to last longer. Enhance the natural look of your own lips, when easily applying the hydrating and long wearing lip product that is CODE SSL for plumper lips, Get £5.00 off your first order by clicking here: CODE Beautiful x Neil.

Mary&May Vegan Blackberry Complex Cream Essence

Prep and prime the skin morning and evening when incorporating the cruelty-free Mary&May Vegan Blackberry Complex Cream Essence into your skincare routine. Essences play a key role in not only delivering extra hydration with active ingredients deeper into the skin, but they also will improve the efficacy of products you apply over the top. The surprising fact about the Mary&May cream essence is that the clue is in its title....it combines a cream and essence that mixes perfectly together when shaking the bottle before application to provide a perfect oil and water treatment for the skin. 

The double phase emulsion contains 50,000ppm plantia blackberry to improve skin damage, 100,000ppm nymphaea caerulea flower water to soothe and moisturise, 80,000ppm jojoba seed oil to strengthen the skin barrier whilst forming a moisturising film, centella asiatica extract to soothe and calm damaged skin, and ceramide NP for skin barrier support and improvement. The vegan friendly and fragrance free essence is also suitable for sensitive skin types, but when using any new product it is essential to perform a patch test. The full EWG Green Grade-certified ingredients are as follows:

Water, Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Water, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, 1,2-hexanediol, Methlypropanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trilaureth-4 Phoshate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Cyanocobalamin, Ceramide Np, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol.

Shaking the bottle to mix the cream and essence layers together, the emulsion can now be applied to freshly cleansed skin by pouring into your hands and then pressing into your face and neck. I was surprised in not only how quickly this absorbs into the skin but it also leaves it feeling perfectly hydrated with no greasy or stickiness some essences can leave behind. Playing perfectly underneath other products, this cream essence is an essential product to include in your skincare routine to improve and support a healthier skin barrier function! Purchase here: Mary&May Vegan Blackberry Complex Cream Essence and don't forget to use my discount code: BLONDEMALE1 on all products you wish to purchase x Neil. 

Prioritising You And Your Health

As we get older, our priorities begin to change, and sometimes we forget to do even the simplest of things for ourselves. We begin prioritising other things, other people, like children, or getting that promotion, and other adult things. Which is great of course, but we get so caught up that we forget to check on the most important thing - ourselves. We forget to attend checkups because we don’t want to use our precious holiday allowance, we put off that appointment because we’ve only got an hour of free time and agreed to meet for coffee, its so easily done, and before you know it, that appointment we missed last week turns into 6 months ago, and so on. It’s incredibly important to look out for ourselves, and make sure that we’re doing all we can to keep ourselves happy and healthy. Here are some tips on making sure that we’re as good as we can be, and addressing things in the now rather than later. 

Make Your Safe Space

Making a space that makes you comfortable and at ease is a good way to de stress, and disassociate for a while, and how you utilise that space is entirely up to you.It could be a small room in which you take a book and read, it could be a mini gym in your house - it’s entirely up to you. As long as you have somewhere where you can rest, recharge, and do the things that you enjoy. It’s good practice to make that a part of a daily routine. It allows you to control the pace of your day, and effectively reset.

Try and Maintain Good Work/Personal Life Balance

I know, it’s a common saying, but it’s true. It really is important to have a healthy balance between your work and your life outside of it. Committing too much to either side can have an effect on the other. If you’re too focussed on work 24 hours a day, you’ll be too worn out and stressed to consider anything extra curricular, and it’ll start to drain you mentally as well as physically. The same is to be said about the other side - if you’re constantly partying and not thinking about what effect it could have on your professional life if you average around 3 hours sleep each night due to other activities, you may not be able to keep your job for very long. 

If Something Isn’t Right, See A Professional Right Away

Whether it’s physical or otherwise, if you think something is wrong, it’s vital you see someone as soon as possible. Make sure you have regular checkups - and don’t get into the habit of cancelling unless you absolutely have to. Stay on top of appointments with your GP, confide in them if something is ailing you. Make sure you visit your dentist regularly, and any work you need doing, dentures, root canals, don’t put them off just because they seem scary - you’ll only make the issue worse.

Credit:https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-rattan-swing-bench-with-cushions-2V5PJgGqyts

Having a Bedtime Is Important 

Having a solid sleeping pattern is a lot more important than people think - and is usually the first thing that adults tend to take for granted. It’s natural for people to think that they don’t have enough time - that they need to stay up and finish whatever task they’re trying to complete. Sleep is usually the first thing to be sacrificed, but a lack of sleep affects more than just physical weariness - your ability to concentrate, your rationality, memory and retention span are also heavily affected and will start to decline quicker than you think. It’s recommended that adults sleep around 7 - 8 hours per night, so try to find yourself a time in which you completely switch off, isolate yourself from distractions and blue screens. Set yourself an alarm if you’re worried you’ll oversleep, or even just to build up that routine, eventually your body will adjust and become used to it.

Regular Exercise

Staying fit and active is a great way to take care of yourself, in mind and body. However much you do is up to you - it’s not a race with anyone (Unless you are actually racing). Just as long as you stick to it and do it often, it all helps. Even if you take a few laps around your back garden - it’s still better than none at all. It’ll get easier the more you stick to a routine, and has actually shown to help with mental health - you may actually start to enjoy it and seek bigger challenges! x Neil.