Morning Skincare Routine

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Mornings are not my time. If I had my way, I'd wake up naturally at about 7.45am, laze about in fresh white sheets chatting and pondering the day for a while, pootle about on my laptop and then at about 9.45am, meander to the bathroom and get beautiful.

Alas, those mornings are few and far between and it's more likely to be a blur of taking a toddler to the potty, checking emails on my phone as I brush my teeth and sorting through a crumpled pile of (clean) laundry in a desperate bid to piece a respectable outfit together- results vary.

With that in mind, I've always been a beauty addict and grooming is quite the event for me. I like manicured nails, bouncy hair and glowy skin (again, results vary), so I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell you about the products I'm currently enjoying to shmear (mmm) all over my face. Yes?

First things first, cleanse. This is actually the first hurdle I fall at, don't tell the Beauty Bloggers on me. Soooooo, soommeeettimmessss (read : 'quite often actually'), I sleep in my makeup. I know, I know, very bad. I can't help it. I just get really sleepy and can't quite face dealing with it all. Water wakes me up and I want to stay all sloth-like before I get into bed. Also, I'm that girl that falls asleep watching films/TV so it's usually a case of just waking up in bed, closing my laptop and taking my glasses off. Basically, bad Louise, very sorry.

So here we are, first thing in the morning with sad skin and yesterday's eyeliner all over my face. Sexy. My saving grace here is Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm (£36 for 100ml).

To use this product you scoop out a little bit (I use about as much as I would if it were moisturiser) with your fingers, massage into dry skin, the soft paste turns to lovely warm massagey oil, any eye makeup you had on slides off giving you big ol' coal eyes, take a warm, wet flannel/muslin and gently wipe off. If you have a lot of makeup on, you may want to go back over heavy areas (for me this is eyes).

It's super gentle, smells incredible (oh hai jasmine, moringa, cederwood, orange, neroli and rose), leaves you feeling refreshed, contains vitamin E to balance and purify and claims to reduce the size of pores- something I would verify that it does.

I was quite reluctant to stray from my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish but Emma Hardie has pipped it to the post. A little luxe in price but worth it for the enjoyment and efficiency.

Since I have six hundred and fifty thousand beauty products floating around my house, I have been making an effort to use them up and lighten my load. This mini Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic (£5.50 for a mini or £13.25 for 200ml) was left over from some PR samples and, if I'm very honest, I thought wasn't going to be too special.

Wrong. With ingredients like cucumber, chamomile and aloe vera, it soothes and refreshes even very tired skin as well as leaving a 'fine layer of moisture'.

To use toner you tip a little bit onto a cotton pad (I like the flat circle kind), and gently move in circular or swiping motions across cleansed skin. The idea is that it removes anything you left behind (which technically you shouldn't have) and tightens your pores.

I always thought this step was a bit 'emperors-new-clothes', but I have found it's made a difference. It kind of leaves my skin a little bit fresher and younger- and I'm very OK with that.

I have used a couple of different toners in the past but I think I like this one best and will be picking up a big bottle soon. 

Now, the anomaly of the bunch, Origin's No Puffery Cooling Roll-On for Puffy Eyes (£24 for the size pictured).

I bought this at Heathrow airport before a long haul LAX flight to replace the (much more affordable) Simple Roll On that was lost in the great Louise-Left-Her-MakeUp-On-The-Aircraft debacle of NYC. I get around haha! I bought it kind of in a haze and if I had to make that choice again, I think I would question whether I needed such a product for such a high price tag.

In hindsight, I was excited in duty free, have a deep trust in Origins (my skin loves that brand) and the packaging was pretty.

The idea of this product is that you roll the cooling metal ball under your eyes, it calms redness, puffiness and helps brighten dark circles. Whilst it certainly feels very lovely (especially on an aeroplane), I'm not 100% sure I need this in my life. However, since I paid a lorra dolla for it, I'm going to use it up and enjoy it whilst it's there.

Not a bad product by any means, just one that is only temporary in my routine. 

The final step of my morning skincare routine though? Swoon. Let me introduce you to Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser (£34 for 50ml - the size shown).

This soft, non greasy, a-little-goes-a-long-way, delightful smelling (oh hai lychee, watermelon and rose) beauty is a new staple for me.

It soothes and quenches my normal to dry skin, wakes me up (a big plus for this tired Mama), sinks in wonderfully, allows my makeup to settle well and keeps my skin happy all day. It feels gentle the sensitive areas, I've had no breakouts at any point in the month and I think has softened fine lines near my eyes (but this could be my upped intake of water and the better sleep I've been having lately).

All in all, I love it and will be repurchasing- high praise indeed from a gal who has a box full of beauty samples to delve into!

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So there you have it, my very basic but very-happy-with morning skincare routine. As with everything in my beauty life, I like to switch things up and play around but this little set up has been going strong for a few months now and I feel really very comfortable in it.

I would love to hear what you're doing at the moment and if you will be making any changes for Autumn/Winter? Also, let me know if you have tried any of these things and what you thought of them.

And finally, well done if you made it to the end of this post! It was a beast! Haha!

Toodlepip!

xx

Behaviour || Motivational Monday

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Did you all have good weekends? I gave a speech about YouTube at a convention for my Dad's work. It wasn't my usual audience (hello huge room full of over 50's men) but it was still quite fun. Then, I headed over to Sloane Square where Miranda Sings was performing and filmed a super hilarious collab with her which will go up soon! Yay!

This week I wanted our Motivational Monday to focus on behaviour. 

Image

This last few weeks and months have been really challenging for me on a personal level. I will talk more openly about them eventually but for now, just know that I have been really struggling with my emotions and with trying to stay upbeat and to remain focused on positivity. I think for the most part I am managing but yanno, there are days when I just feel really cross at the world or at people or at myself and it's not ideal. 

As a result of feeling so hurt or cross or sad, I have found myself wanting to lash out at people. I've, at times, taken an, 'I'll show you!' attitude and for the people who I have felt haven't been kind, I decided I would be unkind in return. Now, by 'unkind in return', I don't mean like poisoning their morning coffee, I mean like not putting a kiss on the end of a text message or saying, 'fine' in a really harsh tone. Yes, it's true, I'm a complete lame-o. 

I spent a week feeling like this. No kisses on texts, lots of 'fine's and I didn't feel good for it. I didn't feel like the winner or like I had gained control of a situation. Instead, I felt like I had just let myself down and wasn't representing the Louise I want to put out there .

When I saw the image above, it struck such a cord with me. 

It doesn't matter what other people do or say to you, you can still be kind back. Being a good person to them in those situations does not mean that they won or that you were somehow less than them. It means you were true to yourself and that you are stronger than feelings of sadness or anger. It means that despite adversity, you can still continue to be the person you want to be and that you are not controlled or influenced by other people's negativity. And that makes you a winner in my books. 

This week, let's focus on our own behaviour. 

If your boss at work is in the grumps and taking it out on you, that's their problem to deal with. You can still get on with your tasks with a smile and a glad heart. If someone at school/college/university throws a snidey remark your way, you don't need to retaliate with a similar one, you can choose to ignore that and show them love. Often the people who are mean or unkind need the most love and care because it shows them a better way to be. 

I'm going to remind myself of this message every day this week and hope that it encourages me to make good choices in my behaviour towards others and as your homework, I'd love for you to do the same. 

Have good weeks my gorgeous Sprinklerinos!

Toodlepip!

xx

Happy 5th Blogday!

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Today my blog is five years old. Half a decade. Wow. 

Thank you Chummysugg from Tumblr for making me this image. 

When I started Sprinkle of Glitter, I wanted it to be a fun Autumn project that I could enjoy in the evenings when I was bored or whilst Matt was at work. I was renovating our home and wanted a place to talk about all the crafts and DIY I was doing. Our house was (and still is) always a mess, we did everything on a shoestring budget and my biggest aspiration at the time was to get a nice office job in the new year. 

Thank you slowemotions from Tumblr for making this image. 

Well, I did get that office job but by that point I was so hooked on blogging that I carried it on. A couple of times Matt remarked on the fact that I had done well keeping it updated for a few months and he pondered how long I'd be keen - I'm flighty you see. I struggle to stick at things. 

Months ticked by and turned to years and in those years big, big things have happened. When I sit down and really think about all the opportunities that have come out of writing this blog, I feel teary. Because of this blog I started my YouTube channels, met other creators, visited new countries, stayed in very posh hotels, met literally thousands of Sprinklerinos, have been on TV, in magazines, on stages, in debates, on red carpets, interviewed celebrities, documented the entirety of my Daughter's life and become financial secure. Because of this one blog. It's insane. 

Thank you hey-im-zana from Tumblr for making me this image. 

When I think of all the 'things' I have been given or earned or found, I feel happy. But when I think of all the 'people' who have come into my life I feel completely blown away. I have so many memories that I will cherish for all of my life. There are the 'biggies' like dancing on stage with the boys in New York or eating breakfast on an upper class flight with Zoe and giggling at the madness of it all, but then there are the little ones that really hit me. Once I rang Ben Cook at 8pm from a hotel room in Covent Garden because I was feeling down. By 8.30pm he was there and making me laugh. Once I had to have some pretty painful dental work a couple of years ago, Zoe drove 3 hours to come and look after me and that night Alfie caught the train up to be with me too. There are the midnight skype calls with Jack where I laugh til I cry, the 2am Skype calls with Marie where we discuss everything from toddler snacks to the greater good and there are the 4am texts to Hazel to tell each other we're 'good women'. 

And then, there's you. You the community of Sprinklerinos who continues to grow but never diminishes in your cosy, loving attitude. I feel such an outpouring of kindness from you that I never thought would happen. 

Thank you LaurasObsession from Tumblr for making me this image. 

I thought that when you become well known for something, you gain 'fans'. People that like what you do, tell you so and then you say, 'thanks'. This is different. This feels so much more than that and in each message I read from you, I can imagine a person saying those things with so much feeling that I feel it too. I feel like this is a family. A huge, glittery family that does not exclude nor judge, but love and respect and cherish and I'm proud to be a part of that. I'm proud to be a part of all of this. 

Last year I said, "Happy Birthday little blog! What a journey we've been on. First year a wedding, second year a baby, third year a business, fourth year friends, fifth year a....What do you think will come next?"

Well, it's you. Hundreds and thousands and millions of you. More than I can count but not more than I can love. 

So, as is tradition- 

Happy Birthday little blog! What a journey we've been on. First year a wedding, second year a baby, third year a business, fourth year friends, fifth year a community. What do you think will come next?

Happy Blogday to every person who helps make Sprinkle of Glitter what it is and makes me so happy. You are so very, very loved. 

Toodlepip!

xx

PS- As if to further prove how much of a strong community this is, all the images in the post were kindly made by Sprinklerinos. If you click on the names below their art, you can visit them on Tumblr. Thank you so much for always making great things. x