“Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it” – Salvador Dali

The very gorgeous Kerry of Kerry Just Beauty has tagged me to do the ‘My Perfect Imperfections’ tag.

 I’m really pleased both because Kerry’s is one of my favourite blogs (and she’s a lovely lady) and also because I’ve wanted to do this post for the longest time.

I loved reading her post, because she was so honest. One of the most poignant parts for me was when she shared that she didn’t used to like her eyes because she got teased at school – whereas I think her eyes are absolutely stunning! It just goes to show that it really is all subjective.

The teenage me would have run a mile at sharing my deepest self-loathing with the world, but if there’s one thing that age gives you, its perspective.

So yes, there are still definitely things I dislike about my appearance. But they don’t cripple me anymore and they don’t define me. I call myself shallow, but its firmly tongue in cheek. What I look like is not all that I am. And I know plenty of people will have told me that when I was younger, but unfortunately its just one of those things that you have to learn yourself, so that you know it in your heart and it carries you through.

Because there are still days when my imperfections drive me crazy. There are still days when I catch myself looking at a picture of some ‘perfect’ celebrity and despairing because I don’t have a thigh gap or my hair isn’t as thick as theirs. There are still days I just wish I was different to how I am. But I know now that perfection doesn’t really exist - and if it did, we’d be unhappy because there’d be nothing to reach for.

And also I know that being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect (whatever ‘perfect’ means anyway). It means that you’ve given yourself permission to look beyond the imperfections.

So, in that spirit, here are my perfect imperfections:

Waistline

When it comes to body shape and weight, I used to be a seething mass of self-hate, and if there’s still one thing that tips me over the edge, it would be this.

I am a mesomorph. This means that I have a bulky body type that gains muscle mass very easily. Which is handy if you’re a body builder, but unfortunately for me, its not what is traditionally thought of as feminine. I’m also an apple shape, which means that if I put on weight, it goes straight to my tummy. In addition, I have a stupidly large ribcage that juts out. And no matter how many crunches I do, I can never get the small, nipped in waist that I want. I’m just not built like that.


After a month of running home from work every day and starting to weightlift at the gym, I’d put on half a stone. And it doesn’t matter how many times I tell myself that it’s ‘good weight’, its muscle etc, I still can’t get past the rather shameful fact that I’d rather be waif like than strong and muscly.

When I was a young teenager, I most definitely had puppy fat and I still feel like that chubby girl in the corner. It really did change my personality, from being naturally bubbly to being much more reserved and unsure of myself. It doesn’t mean that I can never be slim, but it does mean it will never be in a willowy, ectomorph way. Despite having a (usually) decent diet and doing plenty of exercise, I’ll always be heavier than some people. I’m quite tall which means a pound or two extra doesn’t always show. But my weight doesn’t fluctuate, it’s very stubborn.

 I’ve driven myself mad with numbers on the scales over the years, and now I don’t own any. Too much potential for obsession. I know I’m not massive, but at the same time people are always surprised when I tell them my weight – I’ve had people flat out say I can’t weigh as much as I do. But I do. Big, solid long bones and muscles.

The one thing I’d dearly love is a smaller waist, but even at my leanest, its never been below 28 inches. It’s just not the way I’m built. This is the hardest imperfection to ‘forgive’ myself for, and I haven’t overcome it, but all I can think about it is that there’s more important things to worry about.

Forehead Lines and Eyebags

This one is definitely a product of getting older! So its kind of funny how sometimes your old imperfections begin to bother you less, but then new ones will spring right up to replace them. First up, the lines.

I don’t exactly have wrinkles (yet…) but I do have quite deep lines on my forehead. I think this is mainly because I have such a short forehead (its more of a threehead really…). They do bother me a lot, because they’re quite ageing and I think I could pass for a lot younger without them. I would definitely have Botox, and I am planning to look into it when I have a bit more spare cash. I used to be deathly afraid of needles, but I’ve managed to cure myself of it (mainly due to the ridiculous amounts of vaccinations I needed to go to Thailand) so I think I could cope now.

 I haven’t found any cream that’s really helped with them, although I think Nanoblur is a godsend for getting rid of them temporarily.



Similar story with the eyebags. These are one of those things that are genetic and you can’t prevent them. You can make them look better if you get enough sleep, drink enough water and don’t eat too much salty food, but one glance at either of my parents shows that they’re just in my DNA. The only thing that gets rid of them is a rather nasty looking operation that I definitely wouldn’t want.

So I’m stuck with horrible puffy eye bags most of the time! All I can say is thank god for Touche Eclat and cold teaspoons

Cheekbones

One thing I’m obsessed with is bone structure.  I would kill to have razor sharp cheekbones -  I think they look so gorgeous and elegant. But my face is simply not made that way.


Obviously, I do *have* cheekbones, but they aren’t prominent enough for my liking. That’s why I’m mad about contouring and I do it everyday, simply to fake some kind of a bone structure.  I would love to wake up one day and have better cheekbones, but it doesn’t seem likely.

There are a few other things as well, that are not really worth mentioning. I used to hate my boobs as a teenager and desperately wanted surgery, but I've since realised that comedy plastic boobs mean no-one takes you seriously and its very hard to look classy in certain clothes - so I'm glad I resisted!

 I used to worry about my hair and eye colour and desperately wanted to be blonde and blue-eyed until I realised how many stunning dark haired women there are out there!

So it really all adds up to nothing. Even supermodels don't feel perfect, so you need to find some other place to get your confidence. And learn how to use make-up and clothes to your advantage. So here's to our perfect imperfections and learning to love ourselves for who we are, not what dress size we fit into or how our hair looks!

 I'll leave it with the words of one of the most beautiful women on earth, who was convinced that she wasn't:

Another month, another Birchbox! This is my second experience, and I actually have to say that on the whole I was a little bit underwhelmed this month, but not enough to stop my subscription. Will be watching carefully to see what people got in their Glossyboxes and see if its worth switching....

So this month's box sort of had a Lulu Guinness theme. I thought that was all very well, but a little odd. Only because Lulu doesn't have a cosmetics line, so I question the relevancy.

The packaging was all funky as you can see...and there was also a little 'Life Lessons' booklet inside. But this was not very interesting -  all we learnt was that she likes red lipstick and she thinks you should spend more time with your family.

This is what was in the box! I get my box fairly late compared to some people I follow on Twitter, so I already knew that this month's box contained a Benefit product. I got super-excited because I thought it might be a sample of Gimme Brow, which I really want. But no! It was a little bit of a tease really because they advertise in the bumpf in the box and there's an 'exclusive invite' to go down to the counter and try it (which everyone knows you could do anyway) -  but no sample! Bit of a fail if you ask me.

Here's what was inside:

Korres Citrus Body Milk

The first and only 'big' size item was the Korres Cirus Body Milk. I haven't tried anything from Korres before, but I know people rave about them. I'm not a massive fan of citrus scents normally, but this is quite soft and not too 'Lemon bathroom cleaner'. Used it after my shower and my skin felt really soft, but the consistency is very liquid and I noticed it didn't absorb as fast as my beloved Garnier 7 Day Intense. I can totally see why people like Korres, but although I enjoyed using this, it still couldn't replace my Garnier!

Then came the Benefit item.....massive disappointment! It's a very small sample of their Stay Don't Stray primer. Admittedly, I would like to try this, but I could get this exact same thing from any Benefit counter for free if I strolled up and asked.

 Benefit Stay Don't Stray

In fact, I have several identical size samples of the Hello Flawless sitting in my drawer that the assistant gave me and I didn't even purchase a product. So....this is a little bit lame. Having said that, I've heard good reviews about this and I am looking forward to using it.

English Laundry No 7

Next up, another little bit of a disappointment....its the dreaded fragrance sample. I agree with other bloggers who complain that putting these into subscription boxes is just a bit miserly. Again, last time I shopped in Debenhams beauty hall, they loaded the bag with these samples for free. It feels a bit mean to count it as a proper sample and get charged for it, especially in the same box as the tiny Benefit sample.

English Laundry is not a brand I've come across before, so I wasn't sure about this. At first spray, I thought it smelt like a man's cologne, sort of green and cool and fresh (its actually pear, jasmine and gardenia). But when it develops, it has a much richer, honeycomb and vanilla scent to it, still with a hint of fougere.

I actually did like this once I'd worn it a bit and my husband really liked it. Its sort of sweet but without being sickly. I would actually consider purchasing this, it's normally £47 which is on the pricier side but I do like that it doesn't smell like everything else out there.

Dr Brandt Pores No More

Then, we have a small tube of Dr Brandt 'Pores No More' pore refiner. My pores really aren't a problem so its doubtful how useful this would actually be for me, but it also absorbs oil which can be an issue for me in warmer weather. It comes out as a flesh coloured cream, and I have to say when I swatched it, my skin looked sensational. It melts in very lightly and just makes your skin look extremely refined. It doesn't specifically say it acts as a primer, but I can imagine it would work well as one. I did like this, but without pores being a huge problem for me, and at £39 for the full size, I can't imagine I'd buy this.

Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose Replenishing Hand Cream

Next up, something that cheered me up. It's a Molton Brown handcream in Rhubarb and Rose. Anyone who has ever been in my bathroom can testify that I have a massive Molton Brown addiction. So I have used their handcream before, but I hadn't come across this variant.

Lifestyle Extra

So, all in all, not a great box this month. I feel that it wasn't really great value with the mini Benefit and the perfume sample. I'm not cancelling yet but I'm hoping for better next month!

Leather zipped skinnies

£34.00, Topshop

After having a long, agonising debate with myself a while ago about if I could pull off leather trousers (see my post 'Are Leather Trousers Ever Okay?' here), I decided to go for it, and since then I've rarely been out of them! They're a really good option for winter nights out, when its just too darn cold for a dress.

This is actually the second time I've bought this pair of trousers. I had a pair last year, but embarrassingly enough, last time I put them on, they split!!! It wasn't a split at the seam, it was horizontally across the actual leather on the knees, which was odd. I hope it was more to do with the leather drying out in all the freezing cold weather (my wardrobe is built into the wall and can get very cold and damp), and not to do with my fat ass...or knees...!!?!

Anyway, these trousers were such a favourite of mine and got so much wear that I decided to repurchase them! They fit gorgeously and are just beautiful. Here's hoping this pair survives longer!

Neon yellow workout vest

£6.00, Primark

Navy and grey jersey shorts

£3.00 each, Primark

Grey and neon gym socks

£2.00, Primark

I've got a definite love-hate relationship with Primark. Periodically, I swear that I won't go in there and then I always end up crumbling! Its the only store where I feel like I can pick up whatever I like (although it adds up fast, doesn't it?) and its so good for plain basics or really on-trend stuff that won't be around for long.

Lately, their workout gear has improved so much. It used to be awful, but now they use proper sports fabrics and its just as good as the running gear I usually get at Decathlon. I'm doing a lot of exercise at the moment, so its nice to freshen up my workout clothes as sometimes it feels like that's the only thing I wear!

I loved this neon yellow vest for a splash of spring colour, especially since I have started going to 'Ravefit' classes, where you get to dance around with glowsticks! It's got reflective stripes on it as well for running, and its a nice, lightweight breathable fabric.

The socks were a random purchase - they're one of those things you never really think about, but all my sports socks are quite old and grey now, so I plan to replace them with these. They have cute neon slogans on them reading 'I Heart Gym' (not quite true in my case...) and 'Tone Up' and things.

The shorts are really more for lounging about at home in but I'm sure I could wear them for running if the weather ever gets warm this year. I liked the slouchy fit and at £3.00 I picked up a navy pair and a grey pair.

Black and white breton stipe t-shirt

£6.00, Primark

A girl can never have enough Breton tees, right? Well, I don't think so, and even though I literally have a drawer full of stripy long sleeves, I picked up this one as well. I like to layer them under things in the winter, and they're useful for dressing down bolder pieces as well as matching with skinnies or shorts for a casual weekend look. This one is cream with a skinny black stripe, but if you look close to the fabric it has little neon pink flecks. I got a size 8 but its still big and must be designed as a looser fit, so it will be a good match with tighter bottoms.

Black and white stripe mod dress

£11.00, Primark

I must have a thing about stripes, because this black and white dress with three quarter sleeves appealed to me. I like the boxy, mod-style cut and think this will play equally well with bare legs or black opaques. The material is like a heavy crepe and its a loose fit again, so I bought it in an 8 (I don't like things to be too baggy on me). There's a cute keyhole cutout at the back neckline tied with a black grosgrain ribbon. To me this looks a lot like something from Hobbs, but what a price! I thought it would be good for work or for play.

Cream and multi boyfriend t-shirt

£10.00, Topshop

My Pinterest feed has been cluttered up lately with pics of stylish ladies all wearing these boyfriend style t-shirts, loose fit with a rolled up armband. So I couldn't wait to add one to my wardrobe! This Topshop number is a lovely soft drapey fabric. Its cream but speckled all over with little neon dots. I'm already imagining a million different outfits using this!

Grey marl boyfriend t-shirt

£3.00, Primark

After I'd bought the above, I found that Primark were also selling these type of t-shirts, and I just couldn't resist slipping another one into my basket! This one is a grey colour with darker grey flecks and it feels like the same soft jersey as the Topshop one, but at a much smaller price. I decided not to return the other one because I'm pretty sure I'll get wear out of both of them.

Rope and metallic clasp necklace

£4.00, Primark

Another thing I really like in Primark is the accessories. If you fancy something to spice up a look, its a great place for pieces that don't cost the earth. I really liked this rope necklace. It has three strands of thick braided cord with textured gold clasps running across. I think this will look so good for work or with some summer outfits. It's really bold, which I prefer to more delicate accessories and the monochrome means it will go with anything.

Oversized tortoiseshell sunglasses

£1.00, Primark

It's not the season for them, but I've been lusting after some stupidly big, oversized shades for a while, and when I saw this pair for the princely sum of just £1 I pounced. I think every girl needs at least one pair of ginormous sunnies for when you're hungover or want to project an air of mystery! The big ones always look so glamorous as well - they suit me much better (probably because they hide half my face, but oh well!). At the price they were I thought it was okay to add these to my collection even if the sun isn't shining much yet.

Fine gauge knit and chiffon jumper

£17.99, Zara

I'm so tired of heavy winter clothes and millions of layers all the time, aren't you? It feels as if spring is sort of in the air now, and there have been a few glorious sunny days. I found myself making a beeline for this as it looked so elegant and breezy. I loved the relaxed, slouchy silhouette and the combination of biscuit coloured fine knit and the white chiffon panel at the bottom. I think this looks much more expensive than it was, like it wouldn't be out of place on the Selfridges shop floor. It's also unusual so I had to have it!

Marble print neoprene pencil skirt

£18.00, Zara

I did a double take when I saw this and knew I had to have it! The fabric is a thick, neoprene type and its got this gorgeous, unique marble print on it. Again, I haven't seen anything like it and think its so directional, it could almost past for designer. This is why Zara is my favourite shop! The marbling colours are a dark red and green and a grey, so this will pair up easily with so many things. I can see it for work with a dark polo neck and black tights or paired with a crop top and strappy heels for a night out.

Ted Baker Hip Flask

£25.00, John Lewis

This would make a perfect gift, but I ended up self-gifting (oops!). It's not strictly clothing, but its so pretty I really couldn't resist including it. If you're looking for a present for someone's hen do or 18th birthday or something, wouldn't this make a pretty thing to give? The engraving reads 'A pretty sip to keep at your hip'. Cute, right? Not that I'm advocating drinking. But man, this is just so cute I had to have it!

Cropped boucle jacket

£69.00, Monsoon

I have a serious thing about boucle jackets and am amassing an ever-growing collection. There's nothing they don't go with and give an uptown spin to, and they're as useful for work as they are for play. I blame Made in Chelsea, or a latent aspiration to wear Chanel all the time that my purse can't match, but there's something about these little jackets that I'm very drawn to. This number has a cute black velvet bow at the neckline that I adore, which makes it a little different from the other ones that I own. They've been all over the high street for the last few seasons and I keep adding them to my wardrobe. My ambition is to have one for every day of the week.

Someone once told me that if women wanted to be taken seriously at work, they needed to stop wearing cardigans and put on some tailoring, and I tend to agree. I meet a lot of company owners and similar smart business folk, so I need to look professional at work and this is ideal. I also like that it has full length sleeves as most of the ones I own have shorter sleeves that rule them out for winter.

Grey leopard print chain strap mini bag

£60.00, Laura Ashley

I want a Mulberry Lily so badly. But my other financial commitments at the moment are ruling out saving up the spends for it, so this bag that is clearly 'inspired' by the Lily was top of my list for now. Its from Laura Ashley, which is not a usual brand of mine. I love their furniture (my dressing table post features a dresser from there) but I'm just not aquainted with the fashion side of it and just assumed it was for older people (maybe I'm in that group now!).


I really love the colour of this, I love the muted leopard, I love the ponyskin finish and the gunmetal hardware. It's the perfect companion to my black leopard Alexa! This bag really is beautifully made and I can't do without a strap now so I don't tend to use clutch bags as much. I fell in love with this when I was idly browsing 'chain strap bags' and wishing I could afford a Chanel 2.55 or a Lily. This stood out straight away as very 'me' and I literally had a 'have to have it' moment!

So those are my March goodies, what have you been buying lately?

Hello my lovelies

Welcome to my second 'A Week in the Life' post, ticking the 'L' box on this 'FBL' blog! I've decided I might not do these every week, because, I'll be honest, not that much wonderful stuff happens to me every week.

I work really hard and when I come home, I generally either go to the gym, catch up on writing posts and reading blogs, do a bit of housework. It's a quiet life! And at the weekends, house hunting is taking up a lot of time at the moment. So these posts might become more of an occasional thing.

Country Living

I had Friday off work this week and so did Seb (yay!), as I had some annual leave to use up that I couldn't take over to next holiday year. We didn't make any major plans, but when the sun came out we decided to drive out to the country, take a long walk and get lunch at a cute little pub somewhere. I'm so glad we did. The day started off quite foggy but that burnt off and it ended up being a spectacular warm, sunny spring day.

We drove out to Redmile, which is a village I'd very much like to live in. There's one house there in particular that I'm obsessed with. It's an Edwardian place like a dolls house, with a shiny door in the middle, topiary round the sides and sash windows. I'm actually in love with it.

The countryside around there is gorgeous. We walked along the canal banks and spotted swans, ducks, trees budding, spring getting ready to sprung. I could definitely see myself out there, even though my wardrobe would have to be less high heels and frocks and more wellies and gilets!



 Redmile sits in the Vale of Belvoir (locals say 'beaver' -  if you ask for 'Belle-Voir' they know you're not from round there!). This is a gorgeous valley overlooked by Belvoir Castle. I would loved to get married there but the cost was astronomical when I looked into it. But what a fairytale view to have every morning if you lived in the Vale.

We did a fair few miles in a loop and then stopped at The Windmill, the lovely little pub in Redmile to refuel. Sign me up for some country living! But I suspect finding a house there would be a very long wait -  people tend to move to places like that for life.

Rib Shack

Had a really lovely meal one night this week that I haven't had for ages -  sticky Chinese ribs! I seem to always forget they exist - its not one of the things I typically think about cooking, but we couldn't decide what to have and these saved the day! They were so gorgeous and gooey and sticky. Served them up with sweet potato mash and steamed spring greens, so it was almost healthy...

See Right Through You

I made a couple of beauty orders that will be coming soon in separate posts, but I also ordered a new pair of coloured contact lenses. I really like using lenses to change up my look once in a while when I go out. They've come on leaps and bounds and look really natural now.



This time, I ordered from MesmerEyes, which isn't where I usually order from. These are a line I haven't tried before, I hope they're as good as the Freshlook ColourBlends I normally go for. These lenses are 'Velvet Grey' -  I've really been admiring grey eyes lately, so pretty!

 

 Need for Speed

One of our good friends runs a business called Great British Sports Cars. They custom make racing kit cars and ship them out all over the world. It's a pretty cool business - he gets to drive the cars all over Europe. They hold track days fairly often, where customers can meet up and race their cars! He's always inviting us to go to them, but we've never taken him up on it, until this weekend. We went to Blyton Park in Lincolnshire to see him in action, and got to go out racing.

Here's our friend, Rich and me about to pop on my helmet! It was so fast it took my breath away when he accelerated. I was such a girl and screamed round every bend. But Rich is a great driver and I totally enjoyed it. Seb and I were then talking about spending the house money on a racing car instead!

 Sweet Treats

And a little spot of baking to finish the week off - these are Vanilla Pod and Cinnamon cupcakes, with sour cream frosting and vanilla pumpkin seeds on top. They barely lasted long enough to take a picture of, we were hungry after all the racing!

Can't believe we're at the beginning of another week already! x

I have a confession to make. Hold on to your seats, but I haven't had my hair cut for over year. For someone that's so into her beauty stuff, that's a loooong time. I swear I didn't mean it to go on for so long...I swear I'll change...I'll be better next time...I promise *sobs*.

Finding a good hairdresser is a massive issue. You have to find someone that not only gets you, but understands who you want to be as well, and can interpret all that into a cut that works. My previous hairdresser had all that. It got to the point where I could just flop down into the chair, cut or colour, and say 'Do what you like' and know that it would turn out great. So I was devastated when she announced she was moving to Austrailia (why, Cassie, why?) and love her though I did, that's a bit far for me to go for a trim and few highlights.

Since then, I've visited quite a few different salons, but I just never clicked with anyone. And I had a few disasters along the way. Like Aveda, who dyed my hair purple when I'd asked for caramel highlights. Or the simply named The Salon, who did the opposite and left the foils on for so long I went a shade I can only describe as 'acid custard'. Or The White Room, who didn't have any hot water and also dropped a shampoo bottle on my head! I just couldn't find anywhere that I felt understood me.

So I dyed my highlights out and let my layers grow. Fast forward a year and my hair was just hanging there, a shapeless mass. The ends were dry and crying out for mercy. I knew I had to do something.

Then, Eve at Tim Foster Hairdressing found me. She reached out on Twitter (how very modern) and before I knew it I was booked in! I'd been able to view pictures of her work on Twitter as well, so I knew I was in good hands.


As soon as I went into the salon, I knew I'd like it. Call me superficial (I've said it myself in the title of this blog!) but if I don't like the vibe of a salon it will never work out. Tim Foster Hairdressing is decked out in a really cool, vintage style inside. It reminded me of an All Saints store.

Eve gave me a huge smile when I came in and made me feel very welcome. She looked like Keira Knightly with a gorgeous coppery hairdo, so I instantly relaxed. I was having an awful day and my face was all swelled up with tree pollen allergies, I'd managed to cry all my mascara off and my hair was mess as I'd skipped washing it the night before. I don't know what she must have thought, but she made me feel at ease and put a smile on my face.

She somehow also managed to translate my very vague directions of 'something sort of 60's with a sort of grown-out fringe' into an actual hairdo. As well as seeing who I was, she managed to see what I wanted to be (Sienna Miller), which is important when someone is styling your hair. Have a look:



I now have much healthier looking hair with the dead ends all chopped off! My hair had become so straggly and had literally stopped growing because it was in such bad repair, so it wasn't getting any longer. It was just hanging there, looking stressed.

I'm really pleased with my 'fringe-that-isn't a fringe'. I have to be careful because what I really want in my heart of hearts is a heavy, full fringe (I get fringe envy a lot), but my forehead is really short so it tends to make me look like a Lego Man.

Periodically, I forget this, get a fringe and then have to spend three months clipping it back until it grows out again.


Eve has magically managed to find a compromise with shaped 'side pieces' that I can either brush into more of a fringe or style back into the rest of my hair. They don't get in my eyes and I'm happy! And the gorgeous products used in the salon have really made my hair feel healthy and my ombre shine.

She did a gorgeous wavy blow dry on me as well - I couldn't take any pictures at the time because my face was all swelled up and disgusting with allergies, so apologies for that. These pics are taken after I straightened it in the morning, but now I know the cut works both wavy and straight, which is lovely.

I'm one happy customer. I feel like I've found a stylist I can trust (after A LOT of wrong turns). I'd now feel confident to go in and ask for something more dramatic or get my colour adjusted - I'm already thinking about my next move -  and I certainly won't go another year without visiting!

If you're looking for a salon in Nottingham that's forward thinking and stylish with great service I would certainly recommend them.

For a while now, I’ve been wanting to start an occasional series of posts trying out some home-made beauty remedies. It’s fairly obvious that I love shiny new products and that my idea of heaven would be getting locked in the Selfridges Beauty Hall overnight, but I also have a lot of love for remedies you can make at home for little or no money, that can give real results that rival anything shop-bought.


All you need aspirin tablets. You can literally pick up a pack of 20 generic branded ones in the supermarket for something ridiculous like 16p, but lets face it, you’ll probably already have some in the cupboard. This won’t work with Ibuprofen or any other painkillers, aspirin is the magic ingredient!

Why? Well, aspirin contains a form of salicylic acid, which is wonderful for removing blemishes, unclogging pores and softening skin. If you have acne or rosacea problems, this can really help, but even if you don’t (like me) it really works to even out skin tone brighten, lighten and leave your skin so soft, puppies would weep!

Also, as aspirin is designed to reduce inflammation, it even helps with wrinkles. Utter genius.



In my case, I just mixed the crushed aspirin with a good squirt of Cocoa Therapy Skin Rescue Oil, which has the added bonus of making everything smell like chocolate!


Smooth the mixture onto your face and leave for up to 20 minutes. Then simply splash off with warm water. You’ll be delighted with how your skin feels. I know that some people are a little sceptical about homemade beauty treatments, but this one is astonishing. And it doesn’t take much effort or resource to try it -  I bet you have all the ingredients needed right now. So I’d say just try it out and see if you could get amazing skin for literally pennies.

The aspirin mask is my go-to mask before a big night out when I want my skin to look its best. Hope you like it!