The Hero Skincare Products That Have Saved My Skin This Winter... (ft. Pestle & Mortar, & Other Stories, Alpha-H Liquid Gold, and Ingenious Beauty Ultimate Collagen+)

I'm a pretty warm person, physically (though I'd like to think emotionally, as well!) but I work with two Italians (well, an Italian and a Sicilian) and they cannot hack the cold at all. So, for forty hours a week during the winter, I am blasted with central heating. Last year it was bad but, this year, it has wreaked positive havoc on my skin. I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps, it is simply because I am older and my skin is already producing less natural oils (happens to all of us as we age) or because it has been rather cold this year. Who knows? Either way, the result is unhappy skin.

Seriously, seriously unhappy skin.

Normally, I get one eyelid (always an eyelid and always one, for whatever reason) that becomes incredibly dry and, as a result, sensitive and angry. However, this year, my skin was not only dry and unhappy, it was visibly dehydrated and liney (okay, I think only I noticed this part - I've been told by older relatives to feck off about "wrinkles" but they're already coming for me, I swear!).

Then, to make matters worse, holiday indulgences over Christmas were a real shock to my system, which had become accustomed to a fairly regimented life of mostly (I'll never be perfect or even very good) good behaviour. Look, you don't say "no" to my Mam's cooking.

It simply isn't done.

Cue some congestion in my t-zone and some especially bad hormonal breakouts (during the two - yes, two - times I was attacked by menstruation in December).

The result? Very sad, very angry, very moody, spotty, dry skin. I couldn't ignore the fit my face was throwing and had to step up my game when it came to winter skincare. Thankfully, some great products came into my life and an old favourite came back into play, to save the day. These guys really did rescue my skin.

1. & Others Stories Punk Bouquet Mini Hand Cream, €5 (not available online but I've found it in store before)

This wee gem is only 5 quid, is perfect for popping in your handbag and is a delicious-smelling (cruelty-free) dupe of the Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille scent. There are probably more effective hand creams on the market but this smells so good that I remember to apply it more regularly to my chapped paws.

2. Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose, €42

My mam got this as a sample in her M&S advent calendar and I nicked it as I've wanted to try it out for a while now. Normally, I wait two months (at least) before talking about a skincare product but I can't help it. I'm in love with the stuff! The very next day after I used it, my expression lines in my forehead (my biggest concern) looked less pronounced and less on-the-way-to-wrinkles-territory. It's helped almost entirely rid the bumpies and congestion from my t-zone, as well. Colour me thoroughly impressed!

3. Pestle & Mortar Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, €43*

The kind peeps over at Pestle & Mortar actually sent this to me to try out (with the below as a gift set, which can be bought at a special price of  €86 here) just before Christmas. I've now been using them for around a month and a half (breaking my own rules again, I know!) and I genuinely think they are largely responsible for saving my skin this winter. 

This serum goes so far! I've been very generously applying it on the daily and haven't made that much of a dent in the bottle, considering. I was in serious need of some hyaluronic acid in my routine again and this is the perfect product to inject it back in. I pat some into my skin around ten minutes before I moisturise (when I'm really on it with my routine), using about three drops from the pipette, and it absorbs super-fast.

4. Pestle & Mortar Hydrate Moisturiser, €48*

Then I follow up with two pumps of this guy. By the end of the two steps, my skin feels bouncy, dewy and peppy again!

BONUS: Ingenious Beauty Ultimate Collagen+, €42*

This guy is a "bonus" because I'm not sure. When I attended a press meeting about it, it was bigged up majorly and I was super-excited to try it and start ingesting some collagen on the reg. However, the kinds of results I was told about didn't quite happen. 

I think that maybe I wasn't taking them for long enough to really see the effects. 

However, just before Christmas, I wasn't about buy more and to spend 60 quid on supplements for myself! I do really like collagen as an ingredient but, for the amount of money this costs, I didn't quite see the results. 

In saying that, I was taking them when my skin started to get better so, who knows? I'd be keen to try them for longer and see but the post-Christmas financial situation isn't much better so that'll have to wait. Either way, even though I'm still on the fence about this product, for honesty's sake, I was using it when my skin started to improve so I had to include it in this post!

Thankfully, this combination of things seems to have worked and my skin isn't quite summer-happy but it's getting better and, for now, that's good enough.

(The products marked with a "*" were gifted to me as press samples but this is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.)

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Getting my Aligners From Your Smile Direct - How They Look, The Amount of Pain and The Lisp(?)

Pretty much a month ago, I posted about Your Smile Direct and how we had begun working together (read that for more information on the brand and how their treatment works). I went to their Dublin office and had a 3D scan done of my mouth to create my aligners and treatment plan. They then sent me the proposal for my approval and, having seen the incredible progress they hoped to make with my teeth, I decided to go ahead and try it out.

For context, I have had traditional braces before, as a teen, but I didn't wear my retainers properly afterwards and my teeth pretty much shifted back into their original position - much to my shame, given the investment into my orthodontistry that my parents had made. I was already considering trying out Your Smile Direct, as a far more affordable way to fix my silly mistake, when they contacted me. It was kind of like fate. The treatment itself costs 70% less than traditional methods and works out at 4 installments of €399 each or one once-off payment of €1499. So, it really is a good option for people who have always wanted to have their teeth straightened but weren't quite able to afford it.

I was under the misconception that you made your first payment and then they sent out your first aligner, with each of the following being sent out accordingly. However, you actually receive a box with all of your stages of aligners at once, which makes far more sense, tbh.

My personal plan will last about 5 months, with each aligner being worn for two weeks before moving on to the next one, moving my teeth into position little by little with each new aligner. At the end of the whole process, I will have to wear my retainer all day for 6 months and then at night, thereafter, to maintain the results.

This morning, I put the first ones in and began my journey.

My initial feelings are that it is rather uncomfortable - not unbearable but it'll take some getting used to. Luckily, I don't have quite the lisp that my braces gave me, just a wee touch of one. Putting them in and taking them out is very easy - if not a little gross and messy. I also have quite the case of dry mouth, which I read can happen but may actually be for the best as it is forcing me to up my water intake - something I needed to do anyway! On the plus side, however, they are utterly unnoticeable when I'm wearing them, which is great!

Honestly, I'm a little worried about the discomfort right now, it's fine during the day, when I'm working, but I hate anything getting in the way of being utterly relaxed in my downtime. That's me being a bit of a baby, I suppose, and I'm sure I will get used to it. Either way, I'm gonna stick this thing out and let you all know how it goes, each step of the way!

To see if it will work for you, check out this link.

(This is not an ad or sponsored. My treatment is being provided free of charge by Your Smile Direct but all opinions are my own.)

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