My French Revolution

No I’m not talking about a Les Miserables political esque revolution, nor am I talking about a tanned six foot French model, although if you know one then send him my way.

My revolution or should I say revelation comes in the form of French skincare. For years beauty gurus have raved about our European sister’s expertise when it comes to skincare, and I have finally latched onto their ways. I have torn myself away from my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, Toner and Skin Repair Moisturiser, and from the results I’ve seen,  I honestly wish I had done it sooner.

That’s not to say I dislike the Liz Earle range, far from it. The Cleanse and Polish is a staple in my family, everyone from my Nana to my Mum to cousins use it. I’ve been using it since I was 17, and it worked like a dream for my dry skin; it’s gentle and the creaminess leaves skin feeling clean and soft. I would recommend it for most skin types, apart from if you have  overly oily skin then you may need something a bit stronger. So if you’re looking to try a new but trusted cleanser then I can’t recommend this one enough!

However after nearly three and half years I noticed my skin started to break out and took a long time to heal, it felt tight and was becoming flaky even though I was doing the religious ‘cleanse, tone and moisturise’ twice a day. At first I thought it was because I had spent five weeks working in London for More! magazine, and the combination of sun, commuting on trains and tubes, air conditioning and the heat were causing my skin to react and break out.

Whilst working for the beauty desk at More! I was lucky enough to be sent to Saks to test a new facial performed by Kirsty Jewson, Head of Beauty for Saks, also known as my fairy godmother. The three step facial routine we have been taught to believe for years was actually ironically my skin’s downfall.  Kirsty explained to me that skin doesn’t actually need toner nor an overload of moisturiser, what we should be doing is ‘cleanse and protect’ and if needed to do a treatment in between the two.

My skin was examined under a purple light, and all three layers- epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fat layer were scrutinised. I knew I had dry skin but I wasn’t quite expecting to hear the results. I have deep dehydration in the dermis, particularly around the eyes which if I don’t repair over the next few years then it will lead to premature aging. I also have impaired lipids, so I don’t hold moisture particularly well in my skin, hence the dryness, but also lipids are responsible for keeping the collagen, vitamin A and E, and water together, so again this extreme dehydration can lead to premature skin aging, which quite frankly as a beauty girl scares the hell out of me. Because the lipids in my skin are impaired, turns out they have been since birth, I have to make sure I put the extra effort in looking after my skin. My fairy godmother’s solution; hyaluronic acid, acai berries and vitamin E supplements.

In short hyaluronic acid is naturally found within skin tissue, which keeps it moist, flexible and agile, resulting in improved levels of moisture retention therefore making wrinkles and dehydration less prominent and extending the youth of skin. Hyaluronic acid will be listed in the ingredients on your products but it does have a few other names such as; sodium hyaluronate, sodium hylan and hyluran.

So my quest to find the perfect skin serum with hyaluronic acid to add to my skin care routine was indefinite. I spent a long time researching serums, the concentration levels and which were best for my skin type. Then I came across Caudalie’s S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum and I fell in love with the first of my French skincare products.  The serum claims to restore moisture balance in the skin and after a week of using it I’d noticed a difference. My skin which was previously dull looking is now glowing, my skin is softer than before and it had made my skin both look and feel more plumped. I’m hoping that’s the collagen being given a reboot. You only need about half a pump for the whole face, serum’s are different to moisturisers in that less is more, and it smells divine! It’s got hints of mandarin, cucumber and citrus so it’s a real boost in the morning.

Other French skincare brands I have recently been trying and loving are La Roche-Posay , Avéne and Lancóme.

La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Duo is a corrective product that unclogs pores by dissolving the blocked dirt and oil. Recently I had been having frequent break outs which I haven’t really had since I was about 15, and this has sorted my skin out so quickly and effectively that I am desperate to try more from the range. Apply twice a day all over the face or if you prefer in just targeted areas after cleansing and within as little as 24hours you will notice a difference. As I previously mentioned my skin was taking a long time to recover from spots, it could be anything from a few days to two weeks, but now my skin is hardly breaking out. La Roche-Posay is specially developed for sensitive skin. The Effaclar range is developed for oily skin but I would recommend this product for anyone who is suffering from breakouts and wants to see dramatic results. If you have overly dry skin though then I would advise just one application a day.  If you want to read more about the ranges click here http://www.laroche-posay.co.uk

Micellar cleansers are great at making you feel you like you have really clean skin after removing your make-up. Lancóme’s Eau Micellaire Douceur and Eau Thermale Avéne’s Lotion Micellaire are perfect for sensitive skin-types. Cleansers with micelle technology, such as the iconic Bioderma, dissolve the make-up and impurities on the skin without drying it out.  For me the Lancóme is more effective at removing mascara as the Avéne is perhaps a little too gentle for stubborn mascara, especially if it is waterproof.

Finally, another product from Avéne that I love and will remain ever-present in my make-up bag is the Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water. It comes in a spray can and is perfect for after you’ve removed your make-up and before/after any treatments such as face masks. It feels so refreshing on the skin, but not that too cold refreshing that gives you goosebumps, and it can be used over make-up if you need a little pick me up mid-afternoon. It reminds me of water version of E-45 cream in that it can be used to soothe razor burn, sun burn, rashes and redness.

So there we have it my French revolution! If you have any products you think I should try then let me know, I love trying new products out. I have a few that I need to use up first but once they’ve been lovingly used I will be venturing further into the French skincare industry. So keep an eye out for future skin care routine posts. 

ps I'm wearing Essie Nail Lacquer in Aruba Blue

Day 2

My second day as a working London gal. First day nerves are nearly gone and I'm feeling ready to take on anything they offer me.

Because of the train I have to get so I'm not rushing across London, I'm in Covent Garden about half an hour before I'm due in. After two days and two morning trips to Starbucks it's looking like I will be a regular there for the next two weeks. I'm a caramel coffee frappuccino girl.

This morning I've gone in with a list of boys for Lucy's article, learnt how to use the photocopier, gone through More!'s competitive magazines and got to sit in on the news and feature team's meeting. I felt really lucky to just be asked if I wanted to go. All the girls put in a lot of work and are really on the ball with current trends, celebrity news and current affairs. Not only that but they're funny, warm and open. They make me want to work harder. Being given this opportunity is a big deal, work experience isn't easy to get, so I am even more determined to make the most of it.

This afternoon I went out for an hour with the features intern, Lauren, to find 20 guys to ask the one big question to and no I can't tell you the question, you'll just have to buy the issue next week to find out!  Wrote up the latest competition give away for Street Dance 2, which you can enter by clicking on this link http://www.moremagazine.co.uk/win/view/win-street-dance-2-on-dvd/. I did some twitter stalking of something funny/stupid a male celebrity had said, researched the papers and online for some 'Man Facts' and ended the day by researching Rita Ora.

Things I have learnt today

•  That approaching men on the street to ask personal questions is hard.Looking for hot guys age 20-30 when all you can see is suited and booted 30-40 somethings, men on their phones and people who just don't want to talk to you is hard. So I have huge respect for the writers who do this on a regular basis. 
• That a cup of tea will always go down well in the More! office.
• Maxi dresses and tubes aren't ideal partners. People stand on your dress and there is a constant fear of being caught on the escalator and the dress just ripping off you, leaving you stood there half exposed in a ripped ensemble.  

Nothing embarrassing actually happened to me today, that hasn't happened for a long time! However, someone did sneeze on me on the train. It was gross. Problems of a commuter. 

Today I wore

The dress code for the office is casual, so in a way it's nice to have the pressure of formal office wear taken off, but at the same time I still want to look a little bit dressy. 

I promise I will try and get better quality photos (sorry about that) but my camera died so I had to take these on my phone. Also I'll try and get photos of the outfits actually being worn. I know they're not great but it's still nicer to have visual. 

Maxi dress from New Look 

Denim Jacket from New Look

Belt from Primark

Necklace from Primark

Had a bit of a shop theme running today! 

Anyway so that just about sums up my day, and I've realised I have to be up again in about 6 and a half hours!  I think it is officially bedtime. Night x

Day 1

So for the next two weeks I am on work experience at More! magazine, and am aiming to use my blog as an online diary of what's been going on, what I've learnt, my London adventures etc... I know this is already a day late but last night I was exhausted! For someone who rarely sees before 9am (I'm a bit nocturnal) getting up around half six in the morning is quite a challenge! So here is a quick low down on my first day at More! HQ.

After a quick outfit change and making it to the train station on time, I had a good feeling today was going to go well. So far so good for someone who usually says that they're just leaving when they're still running around trying to get ready.

Waiting in the reception area, surrounded by other nervous looking aspiring journo's I can only assume that this is what happens every week, work experience Monday. We all had beaming smiles, hoping to have the time of our lives for the next few weeks.

Now normally I don't really get nervous, but this morning I was. I think it was a combination of fears that they wouldn't like me and that I wouldn't be any good in the job. But as the day went on, and under the friendly guidance from the lovely Sam and Lucy, I definitely felt more at ease and really excited for what I'd be getting up to during the rest of my time in London.

Things I got up to today

• A tour of Bauer Media
• Trying to learn who everyone is and where they sit
• Writing up the weekly 'In this weeks issue you'll find...' subscribers email
• Writing the weekly 'Welcome to the issue' for online which I will link once it is up!
• Learnt what archiving is and why it is important.
• How to use a mac, well sort of, it's more of a work in progress but I'm sure I'll get the hang of them eventually
• A critique for editor Channy on the new redesign of the magazine against the older version. It was nice to know that she really values the opinions of people on work experience.
• Researching famous brit boys with normal ex-girlfriends for a future article. 

Embarrassing things that happened today (things like this happen a lot to me!)

1. Had to ask the security guards if the ground floor was actually ground floor or was it actually level one...they laughed at me.
2. Accidentally walked into the wrong end of Heat's office when doing the weekly exchange of magazines. They asked me if I was ok but I got too flustered so said yes. hi. sorry. and walked back out again.
3. Awkwardly asked a stranger if I had any dirt on the seat of my white jeans, sitting on the steps of Covent Garden wasn't my greatest idea. They said no. Got home, turns out they lied.

What I wore

• A snake print blouse from HM
• White jeans rolled up to 7/8s from Dorothy Perkins
• A pale pink blazer from HM
• Nude ballet shoes from Topshop
• Multi strand feather necklace from Dorothy Perkins

I wish I had a picture of this to show you, but unfortunately I forgot until I was in my pjs. So instead here is a picture of the Chanel taxis in Covent Garden outside their pop-up beauty shop, which I will be visiting at some point this week! I want a ride in one of these so badly! 

So far so good so I think, well a girl can hope!

Interview with Sebastiaan Pieter Groenen

Hello everyone!
Since this is my first post on my blog, I thought I would post my most recent article for Label online, (www.lufbra.net if you're interested) as it is also one of the articles I am most proud of. The interview is with Sebastiaan Pieter Groenen, the winner of Collection of the Year from the London College of Fashion. It is the second article I have written as the Style editor for my uni's magazine and it was a risk just asking him if he would do the interview, but luckily he was nice enough to agree. I'll link the interview below for you.  Hope you like it. http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/label/beta/article.php?id=931

Chloé x

Image courtesy of www.catwalking.co.uk