Roaccutane - 2 Month Update

So month 2 of my Roaccutane treatment is over! My first month was on a dose of 30mg and last month I was bumped up to the full dose of 60mg. With this change, I have noticed an increase in my symptoms.

In the first month it was mainly my face and hands that suffered with dry, itchy skin but in this last month the skin on my body has dried up too. I have patches of eczema on my back and arms. It’s manageable, I just have to apply cream every day to the affected area.

My lips have dried further and I have a terrible habit of biting my lips making them sore. I apply lip balm like it’s going out of fashion. I have one in my car, at my desk, in my room and one in my handbag.

I mentioned having terrible headaches in the first month of treatment but this symptom has stopped. However, in replacement, I have blurred vision. I went for an eye test believing my eye sight had become worse but the practitioner assured me that my eyes were very dry, which was the cause of the blurriness. I had already started using eye drops at the end of month 1 but now I use them a few times a day as I look at a computer screen for work.

Like the first month, I have only had 2 or 3 small spots and no cystic breakouts, which is amazing. I’m still using Cetaphil as my main moisturiser for my face, along with prescribed creams from the dermatologist. I have a thick cream for my lips which I apply overtime, plus a cream for the areas affected by eczema. 

I've found a few people on Twitter who are also on Roaccutane, so it's been nice to chat to others through the treatment. If you are thinking about going on the medication or have any questions, just tweet me @cherriesbeauty . You can see my other blog posts on Roaccutane here.

Skincare You NEED To Add To Your Christmas List

A good skincare routine is an investment worth making, so why not put these luxurious products on your list to Santa.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel

This is a favourite of Lily Pebbles and Anna from The Anna Edit, anything they recommend immediately have to purchase. This cleanser is both simple but also luxurious at the same time. The packaging makes for easy application and the consistency is a wonderful mix between a balm and a gel.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

I've mentioned my love for this product a few times, it's my all time favourite cleanser. It melts away makeup in seconds and leaves the skin feeling incredibly soft.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

In a sea of moisturisers available in department stores, it's hard to find a product that wows you, but this one certainly does wow me. It feels incredibly sumptuous but light in texture at the same time. If I want to create an at home facial, I will always reach for this.

Pixi Glow Tonic

A bestseller from Pixi, mainly thanks to Caroline Hiron's rave reviews. This is a quick pick me up for tired and dull winter skin. Add it to your routine twice a week to notice the difference in your skin's texture and appearance.

Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist

Central heating zaps my skin of any moisture in the colder months, a few spritzes of this mist can bring your skin back to life. It's also amazing for reviving cakey makeup, leaving it looking fresher with a slight glow.

Origins Clear Improvement Face Mask

There hundred of clay masks on the market but this Origins option trumps them all. I apply this once a week and my skin looks instantly better, smaller pores and any spots have reduced in size.

Sunday Riley Luna Night Oil

For those who suffer from acne scarring and textural issues, this has to go on your Christmas list. The blue oil works it's magic overnight and your skin looks noticeably clearer in the morning.

Clarins Lotus Oil

Oily skin can often still be dehydrated, this oil solves the problem without overloading your skin or making it more greasy.

Skin Chemists Advanced Caviar Facial Serum 

If you want to amp up your skincare routine and make your moisturiser effective, opt for a serum like this one from Skin Chemists. It has a light gel texture which sinks into the skin quickly, ready for the next step in your routine.

Skin Chemists Advanced Caviar Night Moisturiser

How stunning is the silver sphere packaging? You could display this moisturiser on your bedside table with pride. This night option feels beautifully rich and nourishing on the skin.

I have an amazing discount for my readers on Skin Chemists products, which means you can get a whopping 70% off! Just enter the code CAVBLOG1 at the checkout, ends 1st Jan 2017.

What skincare have you added to your Christmas list?

*This post contains PR samples

Warming Winter Fragrances

When winter rolls around, I opt for warming and slightly sexier fragrances. I stash away my floral fragrances like Viktor an Rolf Flowerbomb and Chloe's signature scent and replace them with these winter warmers.

Paco Rabanne Lady Million and Olympea
I can recognise Lady Million on someone else within seconds, it's a classic heady perfume and Olympea is it's sweeter sister version. Both contain notes of jasmine, but Lady Million has deeper notes of patchouli and neroli, where as Olympea has sweeter notes of vanilla.

YSL Black Opium
This fragrance seems to be having a moment and I can see why, it's sweet but warming. Coffee, patchouli and cedarwood create a dark base, with pops of vanilla and orange blossom bringing in the sweetness.

Jo Malone Mimosa and Cardamon 
I haven't smelt anything like this Jo Malone perfume before, which is why I was drawn to it. The cardamon is very comforting and the mimosa brings an element of sexiness.

House of Fraser have a wonderful selection of fragrances, including my favourites, plus a Fragrance Guide to help you find something that suits you!

What fragrances do you like to wear in the winter?

John Frieda Frizz Ease #CurlCollective Review

I have used the John Frieda Smoothing haircare range for years. I'm guilty of trying to flatten and straighten my naturally curly hair but when John Frieda sent me their Frizz Ease Dream Curls range, I was ready to embrace them again. I thought I'd share my thoughts on the range and whether the products helped to enhanced my natural curls.

Starting in the shower with the shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo cleaned my hair well without drying it out and the conditioner helped to smooth the hair without it feeling weighed down. I usually squeeze out the excess water out with a towel and then wrap my hair up in my Turbie Towel. I find letting my hair dry a little in the towel cuts time of the natural drying time.

Once my hair was starting to dry, I combed through a little bit of the Daily Styling Spray and the Air Dry Waves Styling Foam. The foam was a little drying on the hair, so make sure to brush any tangles out. I couldn't feel either of the products in my hair once it had dried completely, which is a thumbs up from me.

Sleeping on curls often flattens them, so in the morning I used a tiny amount of the Calming Creme to de-fizz and the Curl Reviver on patches where the curls looked like they needed a refresh. Both products helped to revive the style and keep my curls bouncy.

Overall, I love the range, they are simple but effective products which smell incredible. The John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls range has helped me fall back in love with my natural curls, perhaps I put the straighteners away for a little while...

Christmas Party Fashion Picks

With party season fast approaching, I go into panic mode and scour the online shops for the best outfits and accessories.

Christmas is the best excuse to embellish yourself with glitter, sequins, velvet, fur and splashes of festive red. Here are some of my Christmas party picks, you can click the products you like and shop straight away. I'd suggest grabbing the Gucci-esque snake bag before it sells out!

Cafe Rouge Autumn Winter Menu #RougeAWIssue #AutumnEdition

My sister and I wrapped up warm and headed out on a horrible rainy evening to our local Cafe Rouge restaurant in Chester. The weather had me craving warm and comforting food, luckily their new Autumn/Winter menu had plenty of options!

We skipped starters, I'm more of a pudding kind of girl, and went straight to the mains. I opted for the Beef Bourguignon and my sister chose the Confit de Canard (duck leg).

Our meal arrived quickly and we got stuck in! The beef in my bourguignon was so tender and melted in the mouth, plus the red wine sauce complemented the rich meat wonderfully. I, of course, had to try my sister's duck and it was safe to say it was delicious!

We ended with two scrumptious desserts; I tucked into the Tarte Aux Pommes, a wonderful mix of buttery but crisp pastry with warm apples and cinnamon, completed with a scoop of ice cream. My sister had the Fondant Aux Chocolats, a chocolatey, melt in the middle pudding. However, she didn't want to share this with me and I don't blame her!

I haven't had such delicious food from a restaurant chain before and the Chester team were so friendly, plus service was quick. Can't recommend Cafe Rouge's A/W menu enough!

*Complimentary meal provided but opinions are honest

Beauty Haul - Laura Mercier, Too Faced, Kiehl's and Armani

As my skin type has changed dramatically, from oily to dry, during my course of Roaccutane, I thought it would be worth investing in some new products that were more suitable.

I had to start from scratch with my base makeup, as all my long wearing foundations like Double Wear and All Nighter started to look cakey. I popped into Space NK to see if the beauty consultants could help me find some new products. I was recommended the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Moisturising Foundation and the Translucent Powder from the same brand.

I was a little scared of using a foundation that was labelled as moisturising, as previously with my oily skin I avoided them all costs. The foundation is extremely dewy but when set with the powder it creates the perfect base.

To go under my new Space NK purchases, I picked up the Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily SPF and the Too Faced Hangover X Primer. You'd think I was mad for buying SPF in the winter but Roaccutane makes your skin extremely sensitive to the sun and I want to prevent premature ageing. The moisturiser is a lovely light texture that doesn't leave a white cast on the face like most SPF's.

The Too Faced Hangover X Primer has been raved about on YouTube, and with good reason. It creates a wonderfully moisturised base to apply makeup over - a must for anyone with dry skin.

While at a consultation with Armani in Chester, I picked up their High Precision Concealer, which has the tiniest brush on the end, even smaller than liquid liner brushes. I thought this would be amazing to pin point conceal scarring, but it also can be used for the under eyes as it is easy to blend.

I also kindly recieved a Lip Maestro and Lip Magnet from Kate at the Chester Armani counter, you can read about my experience here.

I love all my new beauty bits, it's so nice to try things I wouldn't have been able to use with oily skin.

Roaccutane - 1 Month Update

I’ve been taking Roaccutane/Isotretinoin for over a month now, so I thought I’d update you guys on how I’ve been getting on and the side effects I have experienced.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Roaccutane/Isotretinoin it’s a medication prescribed by dermatologists to combat serve acne. It contains a retinoid/vitamin A which dries the skin and body over the course of the treatment, hopefully resulting in less oil being produced and the skin cells being renewed. I have previously had a course of Roaccutane when I was in high school but as I got older my hormones changed again so I needed another course.  

Before my course of tablets started I had a pregnancy test taken, as well as a liver function check, Roaccutane causes birth defects and can affect the liver so it’s important that both are checked.

One of the first side effects I noticed that 2 or 3 days into the first set of tablets was dry lips and they have been dry ever since. This is one of the most common side effects to the medication.  My skin soon started to dry up after the first week, I have switched from my matte moisturisers to Cetaphil Lotion, which is super moisturising. My skin just feels tight after cleansing and sometimes needs a top up of moisturiser towards the end of the day, but I haven’t experienced any peeling or flaking so far.

The skin on my body hasn’t started to dry out too much yet but I am expecting it will over the next month. However, I have developed eczema on my hands, I’ve just been prescribed a heavy duty cream a few days ago and it’s already helping.

One of the side effects that I have found the most difficult to deal with is the headaches. I work in an office at a computer from 8.30am until 5pm. I try and keep as hydrated as possible and try and get enough sleep to try and ease it. Linked to the headaches is eye pain as well as having dry eyes, I’ve bought eye drops to help combat this.

I’m really happy with how my skin is improving, I am feeling impatient but I have around 4-5 months left of treatment, so it’s a long course. I often chat about my side effects and any changes on my Twitter so check for regular updates in between these monthly posts. You can also see what products I have been using to keep my skin in good condition in my Skincare Update.