5 Roaccutane Must Haves | Heart to Heart

After my first Roaccutane post went down so well it was time to share with you the top 5 things in no particular order you need when you're on Roaccutane or any other similar medication which has drying effects. Or if you'd just like to have a nosey at some things you need when you have very dry skin. 

In my absence after my previous post is when things really started to kick off and my skin really erupted. I wont sugar coat anything, it was truly horrific. Now I look back on photos and I genuinely wonder how I did it? How did I not wear makeup? But I did it. I came out the other side perfectly fine, happier and no spots. I am still on Roaccutane and on the highest dosage possible for me just with dark scars and permanent reminders of what my acne has left behind - don't pick your spots!!!

1. Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion 

This is my ultimate body moisturiser, and I stress for body use only. As I understand this can be used on the face too but for some reason I'm not sure how I feel about using something for your body on your face, maybe I'm paranoid that it'll flare my skin? But for the body!! It's a white cream but not overly thick and when you rub it in it feels cooling yet hydrating. When I first started my medication although I had just come back from holiday my body was very dry and flakey and this honestly saved my skin. 

I am the ultimate lazy girl and not one to moisturise after every shower but I have needed to and it is firmly a part of my routine that I couldn't miss now. It honestly cleared up my dry flakey skin with in a matter of days and now I wouldn't use anything else. Definitely would recommend and a firm believer in this. 

2. Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser

Now from having oily skin I have never skipped moisturising my face but would never go near thick creams so this is perfect. Although it is light it is perfect for dry skin. This isn't a miracle worker but I always go back to it. It doesn't completely clear my flakey skin but it soothes it. Nothing is going to clear the flakiness because the medication is making it worse but it hides it and helps my dry tight skin.

3. Blistex Intensive Moisturiser 

After finishing a whole tube of this, my lips really appreciated it. It was a white thick-ish consistency with a minty aftertaste which really hydrated my lips and helped to get rid of the dry bits of skin on my lips. I cannot rave about this product enough. It wasn't like Carmex or Vaseline which I'm currently using and just not loving it. Carmex and Vaseline have an oily consistency which don't really hydrate, they don't really do anything in my opinion, a thicker cream works better - for me anyway. Although you get half the amount (5ml) in a Blistex tube than Carmex (10ml) it lasted me around two months and it works a dream. I already have one in backup for when I finish my Carmex I loved it that much! 

4. Hyco San Eye Drops (Artificial Tears) 

Dry eyes are a pain and is one of the side effects that really annoys me. I wake up with red eyes but these particular drops soothe the dry and soreness and help to reduce the redness and puffiness. The thing I love the most especially about this make of eye drops is the fact you don't squeeze the bottle to get the solution out and then you end up squeezing loads out and wasting it. It works by a massive button which is a pump so you tip it upside down over your eye with your index finger on the pump and thumb on the top of the bottle and press it to keep it in position. It then dispenses one drop (which is all you need) in to the eye, and it is the same amount every time.

5. A good support network!
I don't think I would have gotten as far as I have without my family and my friends. My mum was always the one to tell me "they're not bad" when I am covered in spots because the nature of the medication is to get it all out before it gets better. Her help to try and make me feel just that tiny bit better about myself sometimes worked even though I knew how bad it really was and her knowing full well that they were horrific. Mum took and takes me to every appointment, gets my bloods done with me, collects my medication and without her the journey wouldn't have been as smooth as it was/is. Thanks mum.
To my grandma for when she spoke to me she looked at my spots but never mentioned a word, or if she did it was along the lines of "awh Els" - feeling sorry for me. Usually because my mum would warn her not to say anything about my spots because it was a sensitive subject - resulting in me balling my eyes out because I was so fed up.
And to my amazing friends who constantly reminded me "you'll have better skin than all of us soon" (and it's kind of happening!). They would be the people I always moaned to about my skin, sending them constant pictures but they really had my back and they really put up with me and I thank them so much for that. 

If there is any advice I would give to anyone suffering with acne or just has the odd spot DO NOT PICK! Although there is great temptation you'll only be scarred. Put it this way, I'd rather have a white head on my face for maybe 2 days than a permanent scar which stays with you for the rest of your life because you kept picking at the spot which turned in to a scab, then you picked the scab off which produced another scab etc. leaving you with a scar.

More info about my absence and skin update to come...

Goodbye, Adios, Au Revoir. 

Roaccutane Month 1 | Acne

Hello, Hola, Bonjour.

I wanted to document my journey on Roaccutane, to hopefully help someone, compare other journey's with mine and put it out there that acne is a thing, people get spots and it is normal.

When you hit puberty you're lucky if you don't get spots, but in most cases these spots go. For others this isn't always the case. 

Date: January 2014 I went to the doctors to get some medicine to see if I could get rid of my acne, which at the time was very mild, but definitely not just 'a few spots'. Plus when I was hormonal these would of course worsen. I was prescribed Zineryt which is a solution you apply to your face once in the morning and once in the evening. This was a miracle worker, it completely cleared my acne after a few months. Around seven months later my acne returned so I went back and was given Duac another gel cream which you only apply once a day (evening) and Trimethoprim. None of these worked, in fact I found out Trimethoprim was for water infections which actually gave me an allergic reaction and the cream did nothing. Then I got more cream which was called Differin which did nothing either, by this time my acne had worsened and I was getting fed up. Went back again and was prescribed Lymecyline which is an antibiotic so you have to wait 3 months for it to start to work, which after those three months my acne hadn't worsened but still was not getting better. Again I went to the doctors and they finally referred me to a Dermatologist (a skin specialist) which was a huge relief because the doctors were pacifying me with tonnes of medicines and creams and I knew by going to someone who actually specialises in skin and acne, it would finally get sorted. Date: May 2016. 

Just to add about my acne, I was never too self conscious about it but I liked to cover it up as I felt when people spoke to me they were talking to my acne or looking at my spots. Some days were better than others, I would never think about having to leave the house with makeup on everyday but I'm not going to sit here and sugar coat it and say that it didn't bother me at all. 

Date: July 26th 2016. The day I was prescribed with Roaccutane. 

For those who don't know Roaccutane/Accutane/Isotretinoin is an extremely harsh drug which can only be prescribed by specialists which in a short version brings out all the acne from under the skin and then clears it up. With this drug there is no case of it not working, it will. It just takes time and a fair few unpleasant side effects. If you want to know more about the drug, you can find out here. There is nothing pretty and light hearted about this drug, for many it is a last resort. 

Before being allowed to go on this drug I had to have blood tests to check my liver, fat levels in my blood and various other things. Plus a negative pregnancy test, because if you get pregnant on this drug it is extremely dangerous for the baby. Also every month before you get given the net month of tablets you need to have a blood test and a negative pregnancy test. 

Now on to my first actual month of being on the drug. Everyone who takes this tablet reacts completely different so my story will possibly be totally different to another. 

I was started off on 20mg of the drug which is the lowest dose to ease my skin in because if I went in on 60mg the side effects would be severe. 

My first side effect was my lips became very dry and tight, so using Blistex was a must, reapplying it very frequently. Then I noticed my body was dry, I had been recommended Cetaphil body moisturiser from a friend and it has been a life saver! My skin became very flakey in patches over the acne and dry in other areas. The next was my eyes became dry, but not anything some eyedrops in the morning couldn't sort out. I had noticed that my hair didn't need washing as frequently but that wasn't until towards the end of month 1. In terms of my acne it had gotten worse, especially very cystic and under the skin spots which would never come to a head and every morning I'd wake up with a few whiteheads but nothing I wasn't used to already. Month 1 was fairly easy, although I did suffer from quite a few side effects they weren't unbearable.

Overall month 1 wasn't a disaster and I went in to month 2 content as I knew my acne wasn't going to be cured over night and it had to get much worse before it even started to get better. 

I'm now just over a week in to month 2, that review will be up in the next few weeks where it gets a bit more interesting. 

Come back next week for another instalment of something skin/beauty related. 

Goodbye, Adios, Au Revoir. 

UK/USA MAKEUP HAUL

Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit in Light/Medium

L-R: They're Real Mascara, Ooh Laa Lift, Lolli Balm, Sugarbomb, Lolli Tint & Sun Beam

L-R: Rimmel Good to Glow Highlighter in Notting Hill Glow, Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc & B. Prepared Illuminating Makeup Primer

L-R: Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle & Mac Sculpt and Shape Powder in Bone Beige/Emphasize

L-R: Topshop Highlighter in Horizon & The Balm Mary Loumainzer

I am back with a haul that I have been gathering for a fair few months. Today I'm going to show you EVERYTHING I have, then in two weeks there will be a follow up post reviewing some of the products, rating them, telling you which ones to buy and which ones to avoid.

UK

-B. Prepared Illuminating Makeup Primer

-Rimmel Good to Glow Highlighter in Notting Hill Glow

-Benefit Mini Set of 6 (Ooh la la lift, Sun Beam, Sugarbomb, Posie Tint, They're Real, Posie Tint Lip Balm)

-Soap and Glory It's About Prime Eyeshadow Underbase in Smokey*

-Topshop Highlighter in Horizon

-The Balm Mary Loumainzer

-Real Techniques Bold Metals 301 Flat Contour Brush*

-Rimmel Clear Complexion Translucent Powder*

-Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Eastend Snob*

-Mac Kohl Eyeliner in Costa Riche*

USA

-Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle 

-Mac Sculpt and Shape Powder in Bone Beige/Emphasize

-Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit in Light/Medium 

-Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc

Products marked with an * I didn't photograph because they were causing me so much trouble, but everything is linked and will take you directly to the website where you can see the product in full there :)

Well thats another week finished... Come back next week for something brand new to the blog!

...See you then,

E x

5 BEAUTY HACKS YOU SHOULD KNOW

When it comes to makeup there is always room to know more tips and tricks. I have 5 for you today. 

1. The Dreaded Lippy on Teeth

We all hate wearing a dark lip and having the fear of getting lipstick on your teeth and someone not telling you. Not cute. Therefore I have a tried and tested trick.

After applying your dark lipstick, put your little finger in your mouth and make your mouth in the shape of a little 'o' - make sure your lips are touching your finger. Then simply pull your finger out of your mouth and all the lipstick that could've transferred to your teeth is on your finger. Perfect. No more worries!

2. Two Lipsticks in One

Not everyone is confident with wearing dark lips, so I have the solution for you! 

Apply your dark lipstick (or any other lipstick it may be bright or you want to change your creamy lipstick to matte). Then blot with a tissue, re apply, then get a short shader eye shadow brush and load it up with pressed powder - transparent works best. Then pat this on your lips, as much or as little as you want and it dulls down the colour, mutes it down and a dark berry becomes more subtle and wearable. This is also a great technique to make any lipstick you want matte and extremely long lasting. 

3. Panda Eyes

Sometimes in the morning, I'm half asleep and I'll apply my mascara and it will go all over my eye lids and I'll have to spend more time cleaning it with a cotton bud. 

Firstly apply mascara to your lower lashes, it minimizes the chance of getting it all under your eye because it enables you to look down or up (however you apply mascara) but because you haven't applied mascara to the top lashes yet, you don't get it everywhere. Sounds complicated, but it works! Then to prevent getting your mascara all over your lid, get a mirror right underneath your face and look down in it, you can still look down but wont get it on your eyes. 

4. Cooling Sponges

Now this isn't for everyone, but I love applying base makeup with a sponge. 

Before you use the sponge you usually dampen it with water. DON'T use warm water, it maximises the chance of the sponge harbouring all the bacteria. However if you use cold water it is not only better but when you apply your foundation it is very cooling and feels super refreshing. 

5. The Messy Contour

To a lot of us, cheek bones do not come to naturally and when we try to contour and bronze we don't get the sharpness we want. Fear no more...

If you do apply your contour and it isn't as sharp or strong as you want it, get your concealer and clean up underneath OR instead use your pressed powder on a tapered face brush and swipe it underneath to sharpen the line. Genius! 

If you liked this type of post I might do another one in the next few weeks! 

Next week could be a haul that I've been collecting for months now... more explain next Sunday. 

Bye for now! 

E x

THE AUTUMNAL FACE

TOP L-R: Nars Laguna Bronzer & Sleek Contour Kit.

BOTTOM L-R: The Balm Mary Loumanizer & Topshop Blush in Let Her Go.

L-R: Benefit Boiing Concealer, Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder, Rimmel 25 Hour Nude Foundation & B. Prepared Illuminating Makeup Primer. 

L-R: Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Powder Coat Lipstick in Pom Pom, Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara, Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate & Urban Decay Naked Basics. 

L-R SWATCHED: Nars Laguna Bronzer, Sleek Contour Kit, The Balm Mary Loumanizer & Topshop Blush in Let Her Go. 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate.

Hello! Today I am bringing you my go to autumnal makeup. When it comes to the colder months I tend to go with fuller coverage foundations, darker lips, you know the drill. So, lets see what I slap on my face from mid September onwards...

Starting with primer. I hate totally matte foundations so to give my skin a slight glow the B. Prepared Illuminating Makeup Primer is perfect for the subtle glow but not the disco ball summer effect. It also extends the wear of your foundation and keeps you looking flawless all day, what more could you want? Plus its cheap as chips, yum! (ish, don't eat it, it doesn't taste great!) Although it has a strange face self tanner smell, I can assure you it has no tan in it.

For foundation my favourite for the colder months is the Rimmel 25 Hour Nude Foundation. I've raved a lot about this product on my blog before in many older posts, I even did a review, you can check that out HERE. The foundation itself is a gorgeous medium finish foundation which is 100% build able for a heavier coverage. But it doesn't cake your face, it leaves the skin semi dewey but feeling moisturised.

On the concealer front its all about heavier coverages to cover darker circles and tired skin. After never getting along with the Benefit Boiing Concealer, I think I've found my true love! This concealer is very thick and high coverage, but if you moisturise well before application, you're good to go. It covers EVERYTHING... From acne scaring, to active breakouts to bags, you're covered. To set my under eyes I use the Urban Decay Naked Basics and the shade Foxy, a perfect yellow colour to further brighten. The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is a great drugstore alternative.

Then for brows I simply brush them through, then use the Urban Decay Naked Basics and use the shade Naked 2 to fill them in. Brush them through again, then thats brows done.

Eyeshadow is super simple, but so pretty! Pack on Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate  all over the lid and blend up to the crease. This is especially perfect for green/blue eyes to make them POP. It is a rusty red colour, but when you blend it out its a warm bronze, red toned shadow - perfect for autumn. Then from the UD palette again take Faint to define the crease a little. You totally can skip that step, either way, it looks good. If you're in to the whole highlighting malarkey Venus is great for the inner corner/brow bone.

To finish the eyes, the Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara gives you extreme volume and hold. Loving this one at the mo.

On to the face to contour I use the Sleek Contour Kit to carve out my 'cheek bones'. (I definitely have zero!)  Then bronze with my fave Nars Laguna Bronzer. You know the drill... Even though it is getting to the colder months I still need to bronze and contour, I can't not!

Next is the prettiest highlighter! The Balm Mary Loumanizer. If you don't have, you need. Golden shimmery goodness. 

Finally for the cheeks the Topshop Blush in Let Her Go. It is a slightly darker blush, which is sooo nice. Be aware, it is extremely pigmented and can look very bright... But don't be scared

Then for lips you can go for the typical dark lip. Everyone raves about the Rimmel 107 Lipstick, but I am in love with the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Powder Coat Lipstick in Pom Pom, (LONGEST NAME EVER). It is a more wearable dark lip for those just starting out with makeup. It is a dark, dusty, mauve pink, go try it out. 

Then set your face with a powder, you can't go wrong with the Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder. And you're done! 

This was a mix match of drugstore and high end products, maybe in the near future I will do a completely drugstore makeup look and possible a dupe products post.  

Keep an eye out. Bye for now! 

E x