Skincare: SPF, Hygiene and Diet

Hello

My first couple of posts have been on more artsy (sorta) things, but I thought I'd share a little bit of my 'skin experience' with you also, as I do love make up and beauty blogs and all manner of frivolous things.

I especially love this.

For me, skincare is a relatively new thing. Since I started wearing make up at around age 17 or 18 (late bloomer, I know), I thought that I just had to remove the make up and my skin would be okay. I always had fairly good skin as a teenager, with only the odd spot or two at the most inconvenient times to prove to me that I am in fact mortal, but since getting out of my teens my skin has been waaaaaaaaay more reactionary than before to foods, environment, monthly hormones etc, and my make up wipe lifestyle just couldn't continue.


Earlier this year, someone took a picture of me at a party and then for a laugh, decided to zoom in on my nose. I was wearing make up (It was a party, after all), but the red bumps covering my nose were still visible thanks to that evil HD zoom. The power a lens can have on our lives must never be underestimated. I decided to change my ways.

This is that photograph.

I have normal/dry skin with some oily bits (my chin and around my nose) just so you know, so if you have super dry/oily skin some of the things I use might not be for you, but there will stuff you can benefit from, I pwomise! Because I was a latecomer to make up I think the damage I've done isn't so bad and can be fixed, but I've had to reform my wicked ways nonetheless. So here are a few things I've come across that have helped me improve my skin tenfold.

SPF

The Sun -Because screw you!

Listen, I live in Ireland where we pine after the sun all year long. It's not my fault that I thought SPF was only for when it was sunny, and therefore not important. I might have inherited slow tanning/generally-not-burny South African skin, but I gradually came to realise that while we Irish don't get the best of the sun, we do still get the worst of it: UV. Evil, bad, nasty UV Rays all day every day. Wearing a moisturiser/foundation/BB Cream with an SPF won't immediately and dramatically change your skin and as a result YOUR LIFE. But it does keep your skin healthy and helps slow down the auld aging process a teensy bit. So do make sure you wear it, even on no make up days. Most of the moisturisers I have have SPF in them now, and I especially like my Nivea Daily Essentials with SPF 15. Some moisturisers have SPF 20 (Avon, just so you know) or even 30 (A lot of BB Creams). Some foundations have SPFs too, which is great, but I'd recommend having SPF at moisturiser level also, because it sinks into your skin more and means you'll be protected even if you're not wearing any slap that day.

Hygiene

The importance of hygiene cannot be understated, pretty much ever. Thanks to what we know about hygiene these days we no longer have to die because of grubby doctors and nurses, or because we have outdoor toilets right beside our source of drinking water (although in many parts of the world that is still killing thousands -heavy, I know. But that's how important hygiene is). But it is the little extra hygienic things that also help to keep our skin nice. Our hands touch nearly a bazillion (roughly) things all day every day, so touching your face or picking your spots -admit it, we all do it - means you pass on whatever bacteria you've picked up along the way. This can aggravate your skin causing spots and irritation, so before you apply moisturiser, make up, lip balm or ANYTHING to your face, clean your damn hands.  You don't have to scrub them, just a quick wash in the loos or dollop of hand sanitising gel will get the job done. If you're prone to spots this will help a lot. Believe me. Even if you just lean your face on your hand in class/at work, having clean hands will save you so much bother.
Also, if you're having a particularly bad time with your skin make sure you change your pillow case every 2-4 nights. This might sound extreme, but because of dead skin cells and teeny tiny terrifying things that live in all our pillows, this will also help clear up things. Obviously if you only get the odd spot, you don't have to change the linens every 2 days, but if things are particularly bad at some point you'd best get that wash on.

Also, no one likes smelly people.

Diet

Drink lots of water yadda yadda yadda. We know we should drink more water, and in all fairness I do try to do this, but sometimes I don't drink enough at all. I promise I'll try to be better because it really does help. If your skin is troubling you: get glugging some water and it will help flush out toxins and the evil acne elves that live in your pores. Basically water is just good for you in practically every way -unless it's drowning you, of course. You can have a bottle/flask and sip it as you go through the day, or have a glass in the morning and with each meal if that's easier. Just find a way and you will reap the benefits.
Also you should eat FRUIT! Nature's sweet, sweet candy. We're always told to get 5-a-day of fruit and veg anyway, but most people find it easier to eat veggies because they go with meals, whereas fruits are generally 'snacks'. Some people even avoid fruit because of the naturally occurring sugars within fruits, because SUGAR IS THE DEVIL. But naturally occurring sugars are perfectly fine, so don't be afraid of them. Also many, many fruits have anti-oxidants in them that help give you a clear complexion. And no, I'm not just saying this because I read it somewhere one day, I'm saying it because when I started eating more fruit my skin genuinely started looking better. I noticed this and looked it up, and hey, turns out there's something to it after all. So get them apples, pears, grapes, oranges, nectarines, pineapples, whatever in t'ya!

Just don't look them in the eye before you do...

I'd also recommend drinking lemon juice (from a real lemon not a bottle) and honey together in warm water. It actually does taste nice (make it as sour or sweet as you'd like), and it does clear my skin of bumps and blocked pores if taken for a few days. Honey is also practically perfect in every way, so it's very good for you in terms of digestion. Win win!

 :)

Thanks for reading!

Irish Bollywood!!!

Last year all us Trinners (attendees of Trinity College Dublin) were informed that a big Bollywood blockbuster called 'Ek Tha Tiger' would be filming in Dublin, and that whole scenes and sequences would be filmed on our campus. I don't have a lot of experience with Bollywood movies, but any songs I've come across from that genre have always been a lot of fun to listen to and oddly beautiful in a way. So I was quite pleased that this was going on.

Here's a trailer for the film.

They blew up a Luas! How exciting is that?!

Quite action adventurey looking, isn't it? Needless to say I'm definitely gonna try to check this one out if it appears in cinemas in Dublin (which I'm fairly sure it will being that a chunk of it was filmed there).

As I traipsed around campus, panicked about enjoying my final year, I managed to catch a few glimpses of the filming, as well as spotting them a few times on Grafton St and other places. My clearest memory of it was thinking "God, she must be frozen", as I saw the beautiful lead actress walking around in a mini skirt and no tights. This is Ireland after all, so that poor woman is lucky to be alive after that. Tights save lives, people.

I was also in my music tech lecture as they filmed a song and dance number (which I later learned was entitled 'Banjaara'). The music dept in Trinity faces into the Front Square of the campus so we had a birds-eye view of what was going on, and yes, we all had a good look, lecturer included. We witnessed a mass gathering of students, faculty, bag-pipers (which is Scottish, not Irish but the way Bollywood fans), Kilkenny hurlers (my personal highlight), people in novelty Leprechaun hats, gardai and firemen.

I'm pleased to say that I've found 'Banjaara' in full on youtube so please do enjoy!

Trinty College Dublin, it's students and faculty in all their glory :)

I completely love this!

Thanks! 

x

Review: Abbey Theatre 'The Plough and the Stars'

Hello!

Here are my thoughts on the Abbey Theatre's latest production of Sean O'Casey's 'The Plough and the Stars', directed by Wayne Jordan, which has just finished up in the O'Reilly Theatre at Belvedere, but will continue on as a touring production for a little while longer across Ireland the UK. Info here: http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/.

Now, I will admit I didn't know much about Sean O'Casey or 'Plough' before seeing this, all I knew was that it was one of several plays by Irish playwrights that had incited riots and caused massive hoopla back in the day. I'm quite ashamed of that. I'm ashamed I don't know more of O'Casey's work, and that I haven't checked out more of my own country's dramatists, but I'm going to remedy that soon! Don't you worry about that now.

But on to the production. *Ahem*

First off, the cast is utterly wonderful. Honestly this the Mary Poppins of casts. Practically perfect in every way. The dynamic between each member is natural and effective, and it is by far the strongest element of this production, which is exactly as it should be. It works so well because the play allows for each of the 6 main characters to have their own time to develop, interact and shine. Joe Hanley's Fluther Good is a particular highlight; both funny and capable of a great depth of feeling. The character itself is intrinsically likable, being something of a lout with a heart of gold, but the charisma Hanley gives the character is very special. He gets ALL the best lines! What a lucky duck!

But what is especially nice about this play for me is the three beautifully written female leads: Bessie Burgess, Nora Clitheroe and Mrs Gogan. The actresses in these roles all excel, and Kelly Campbell's Nora is especially heart-breaking towards the end of the play, really shining in a character that in the wrong hands could have just become shrill and distracting. But truly, gold stars to the entire cast, from leads to supporting cast. Having seen absolutely top-notch plays in Ireland and the UK let down slightly by just one lose-end in the cast, I was really blown away by just how right the Abbey got this one. It is perfect. Even better than the SUPER cast I witnessed in this years Globe production of 'Richard III'.

The play itself was utterly engrossing, and despite my lack of knowledge I was sucked in from the very opening in which each character is introduced, to the very end in which two unfamiliar characters are left alone on stage. In my opinion, 'Plough's greatest asset is it's humour. The first half is dominated by a typically Irish sense of humour, and while politics, sad circumstances and poverty do rear their heads frequently throughout this first half, it is the humour that sets up each character and each situation. Through humour we come to know each of six leading characters, from the wonderfully dislikable Bessie, to the cheeky socialist Covey, and all the rest. By the end of the first half we have such a good idea of who these characters are that when things get far bleaker in the second act there are great emotional stakes.

The second half sees the characters attempting to weather the 1916 Rising, and while this half is overwhelmingly serious and emotional, it is the dark moments of humour that give some needed relief to the audience and to the characters. In fact, the brief moments of humour highlight the tragedy further as we realise that things cannot go back to as they were in the first half, and this is just a coping mechanism for the players in this situation.

Overall, this was a really satisfying and worthwhile production for me. I'd shied away from so much Irish theatre, and this production was exactly what I needed to see in order to show me what I was missing out on. Despite it's frequent emotional intensity, this is a very accesible play.  I laughed, I cried, and I pondered throughout. If anyone gets an opportunity to watch this production as it tours, I'd highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I'm not a theatre critic by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love seeing plays and shows, and I think this production is thoroughly worth talking about. I hope it didn't come off as a bit wanky to anyone. At times I did feel like I sounded a bit Leaving Cert English :S

Thanks!

Ahoy-hoy!

Welcome to the blog.

Here I'll post little snippets of things from time to time. Anything and everything from music to drama to make-up to art to fashion to current events to goings on to feminism to books to poetry to cute animals to wonderful people to theatre to random thoughts that pop into my head.

I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. You never know, someone might actually read this someday!

Love,

Ellie