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You are here: Home / STYLE / Going bare faced for summer

Going bare faced for summer

April 22, 2017 by Molly 2 Comments

 

Every summer I do a mini overhaul of my skin and beauty regime. In fact, “regime” is probably a bit of a highbrow word for what I do: chucking away any out of date make-up and switching around moisturisers. With two young children, a house to keep together, work and school runs, I simply don’t have time to pamper myself for hours (or even minutes) on end every day. Quite frankly, I have better things to do. With this in mind I’ve decided to go bare faced for summer with the help of a new hero product in the Elizabeth Arden range – Advanced Ceramide Capsules.

The claims? That these little capsules of joy offer triple the amount of anti-aging power, firming skin and reducing the signs of wrinkles and lines. OK, so I’m only 33, but it’s fair to say I have my fair share of lines – or, “sleep deprivation warrior marks” as I like to call them. Like most people my age, the lines are mainly around my eyes which, coupled with the dark circles that often sit there, don’t make me feel exactly jubilant about giving up the make-up. 

I rely on a bright red lip and a heavy dose of eyeliner to distract from the under-eye bags and crow’s feet adorning my face, but I was interested to see if the Elizabeth Arden capsules, along with the Ceramide Lift and Firm Day Lotion, could make a difference before I’d applied my warrior paint.

Review of Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules

First thoughts – the capsules look so pretty. They’re like little pearls of perfection which you twist to let the magic inside run out. Don’t do what I do and twist and squeeze though, or you’ll end up wasting a whole capsule of magic all down your top. And DEFINITELY don’t let your toddler near them. We had a near miss with that this morning.

Then you simply rub the serum into cleansed skin, before you put your moisturiser on. Simple. It took me less than 30 seconds and the effect was instant – my skin felt hydrated, supple and beautifully silky smooth.

There’s something ever so indulgent about using good quality skincare. To me, it’s the equivalent of the hot cup of tea I so often don’t get to drink or the magazine I rarely get to sit down and read. It’s a moment of time dedicated to myself in the day which makes me feel like I’m really looking after myself. And, because of that boost, I become that tiny bit more patient as a mum – that’s how I justify it anyway.

So back to the skincare products then, and I can safely say I’m sold. I’ve been using these for a few days now and can already see a difference. My skin feels smoother, more taut and brighter somehow. Plus, the serum and the cream are both a joy to apply – they slide on and sink into the skin almost without really needing to do anything. There’s no excess rubbing or greasy residue, which isn’t always a given with serums or rich oils.

The bare faced experiment is going well so far. I’ve not given up the slap completely, I’m still prone to a dash of mascara and a hint of tinted lip balm but, at the moment, that’s doing me fine. As a mum who’s currently potty training and going through some hellish toddler bedtimes, this is a big result I reckon.

 

Now’s the time to update your own skincare for spring and summer because Elizabeth Arden are treating offering a free Big Beauty Gift* with any two purchases from the brand, one to be skincare. 

 

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Thanks to House of Fraser and Elizabeth Arden for working with me on this post. For more details of how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. 

 

*While stocks last

Filed Under: Beauty, STYLE Tagged With: anti-aging tips, beauty regime, mum beauty routine, pampering, skincare routine

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Comments

  1. Laura says

    April 26, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    I really need more of a skin and beauty routine as I know it’s taken it’s toll of late with sleep deprivation. I do the same and every spring chuck out loads of products I don’t use anymore but I hate wasting so just need to find more products like this one that actually works and keep on to that

    Laura x

    Reply
  2. Lisa says

    April 23, 2017 at 7:33 am

    Argh not sure I could go barefaced. Your skin does look really clear. I’ve added these to my wish list as they’re a bit (a lot) above what I would usually spend. Sound great though x

    Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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My body is good and excellent and my body only bel My body is good and excellent and my body only belongs to me ✨ (Words by Effie May, age 6 💕) #BodyHappyMum
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Image description: A close up of Molly’s bare skin as she hugs herself. It’s dark and part of her body is illuminated by light. She has her eyes closed and is smiling.
“Mummy I wrote a letter to myself,” she said. “Mummy I wrote a letter to myself,” she said. And my heart swelled. Maybe I’m doing an OK job after all 🤞❤️💕 #BodyHappyKids 
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I could leave this caption here but I need to make something clear: if you think it’s great that my daughter - a thin, white, nondisabled, cisgender kid - feels good in her body but you’re not here for the self-love of any kid who doesn’t look like her.... then you’ve missed the point.
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ALL bodies are good bodies, and without this important piece of the puzzle ALL children will be at risk of doubting their body. And what happens when they doubt their body? Well... hating our body doesn’t make us treat it with love, and the same is true of kids. 
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Great, now we’ve cleared that up, can we take a moment to appreciate the incredible phonetic spelling on show here?! 
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Image description: Effie, age 6, stands against a white wardrobe holding up a letter she has written to herself. It is spelled phonetically and reads “My body is good and excellent and my body only belongs to me.”
I used to struggle to buy stuff for myself if I ha I used to struggle to buy stuff for myself if I had any spare cash - not just treats, but basics like pants and tights that fit properly. I’d tell myself I didn’t need it, didn’t deserve it, couldn’t justify the expense. There’s still that little voice (the habit of putting everyone else’s needs first and my own last dies hard it seems) but I’m leaning into exploring why it still sometimes rears its head, instead of always listening to it. 
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I’m trying to buy as much as I can from pre-loved places or small businesses these days, which is why I’m very happy to share with you some of my latest finds: a star dress from Depop (£5), earrings from @kelzojewellery by @ourtransitionallife (£12) and the comfiest tights I’ve ever owned in Raspberry Pie by @snagtights (£6.99) 💕💕💕
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Have you found any great small brands lately? Shout them out in the comments so we can all support in the run up to Christmas. ⬇️⚡️
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Image description: Molly is smiling and sticking out her tongue to the camera. Her hair is freshly dyed a light shade of pink. She’s wearing a pink t’shirt underneath a black and white star patterned slip dress, with bright pink tights and black and pink earrings decorated with a boob design.
This is what teaching kids to idolise thinness and This is what teaching kids to idolise thinness and fear fatness looks like and it hurts my heart 💔
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This is what happens when we only give children a very narrow representation of what health / beauty / success / happiness looks like, and when we don’t incorporate mental health into conversations about health. The body image, self-esteem and wellbeing of children suffers. And it IS suffering.
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Last week @Childline_official launched their #NobodyIsNormal campaign and released figures showing they’ve run 43,000 counselling sessions for children since the first UK lockdown earlier this year. These are quotes from children they spoke to, showing that low self-esteem is a major issue for many of the kids they’ve been in touch with. 
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Head to their page for more information and resources, and to see their fantastic video. It’s a great way to open up a conversation about mental health and self-esteem with the children in your care. 
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If you’re a teacher or youth leader looking for ways to create body happy settings so the kids in your care can thrive then we’ve opened up booking on the final two #BodyHappyKids workshops of 2020. I’ll be leading these myself and you can book via the link in my bio. 
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It really doesn’t have to be this way ✨
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Image description: a series of slides showing quotes from ChildLine. Full text can be found in Alt Text.
I was at my desk all weekend so here’s a throwba I was at my desk all weekend so here’s a throwback to September when we hiked along part of the South West coast path and discovered three new beaches. I miss the outside. 
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This post is dedicated to anyone who says opting out of diet culture and a weight-focused health narrative means you automatically won’t move your body. Actually, the opposite is true. 
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Research shows exercising for intrinsic reasons (how we feel) is more likely to lead to consistent movement than if we do it for extrinsic reasons (how we look). 
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There’s so much research on this subject and about why diet culture and weight stigma is harmful. Suffice to say if you’ve not read the research, or any books, or listened to any podcasts, or even read the captions of some of the amazing people educating about this subject then you won’t know it all... despite what you learned at school or what your own unexamined internalised bias is telling you, or what the newspaper headlines say. 
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If you’re interested in learning more about this stuff there are lots of resources in the link in my bio, but for fitness specifically I recommend following @emmafitnessphd @tallyrye @thephitcoach & @amysnellingpt for starters and also check out @drjoshuawolrich recent post on this subject too ✨ #JoyfulMovement #BodyHappyKids
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Image Description: Molly and her two daughters on a beach, smiling. They wear hiking boots and Molly is wearing purple leopard print leggings and a neon yellow jumper. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
Did you know the same area of the brain lights up Did you know the same area of the brain lights up when we experience the pain of social rejection as when we experience physical pain? True fact. Which is why I think 
it’s wild we spend so much energy in kids’ health education on nutrition (or “good food and bad food” as is so often the case) and so little on prepping them with the skills to navigate social media in a positive way. 🧐
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Social media can be a great thing, but it can also be a scary and anxiety-inducing place too (watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix for more on this!). We’re having conversations with children about the dangers of sugar but not even touching on the dangers of social media and the impact it can have on health (because mental health is health too FYI). 
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I’m a 37 year old woman and social media still messes with my head. What chance has a tween got? 
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I could lie and say that I always take the “other people’s opinion of me is none of my business” approach but the truth is I’m a sensitive people-pleaser so when I experience negativity online it stings. 
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I don’t read hate forums and am quick to block trolls, but that doesn’t mean this stuff has no impact. 
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I had a conversation with my pal @jskychat that helped me through a difficult phase recently, and I’ve shared the tweets that started it off in case they’re helpful for you too. I think Jsky should be brought in by the government to help design a PSHE social media lesson for the curriculum to be honest, but that’s a fight for another day. ❤️
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In the meantime, I’m teaching my kids the affirmation that “Their opinion is not my truth”, which works well in all life but seems particularly apt when it comes to social media.
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[Image description: Molly’s hand covers her face. On her hand are written the words “Their opinion isn’t my truth.” She is smiling. Full description of second slide in Alt Text.]
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