Friday 12 December 2014

how i learned to stop worrying and love pleather

For many years, wearing "leather" trousers was something I supported others doing, but never expected to be brave enough to become involved in myself. Then I realised that I am definitely going to die one day, and it might even be today, and anyway, what is so brave about covering your (most likely hairy ... or maybe that's just me) legs in what is essentially plastic bags? It doesn't take bravery, all it takes is for you to be easily convinced in H&M one time (or in my case, twice). Enter, my pleather pants:
H&M Joggers Available Here are genuinely the best purchase I have made since the summer and I bought a £1 ticket that allowed me to go to ALL of the pop music concerts. They cost £25 and yes, I have them in two colours, ok. They really appeal to my inner Kanye West, and the best part about them is if you tuck in the cord and wear a top that covers the elastic, they look like tapered leg real trousers and actually have a really nice fit on the leg; the mid-point between baggy and fitted. You can fool everyone into thinking you might be kind of uncomfortable while remaining completely comfortable! I particularly love the combination of these with a textured knitted jumper, particularly in from the beige colour family (holla), also with a HBIC white shirt. I will issue three brief warning on these pants. 1: On the first wear, they will be so unbreathable that your legs feel like two basted turkeys covered in sweat-gravy. After a wash, the breathability increases (although not to levels of a normal trouser). 2: Sometimes during brisk movement (reaching for something on the bottom shelf in a shop is the classic), all of the air will rush out of the trouser leg, creating a fart-like noise. This incidence, too, has rapidly decreased since washing the trousers. 3: Wearing these trousers while sitting on pleather furniture is noisy. I learned the hard way and was basically unable to move at the cinema for the whole of Interstellar (a very long film). Nonetheless, I am so happy to own these trousers and I think we will have a long and loving relationship. If you remain unconvinced, I think Lilly says is best (or just most insanely):
The obvious progression for me fulfilling my dream of wearing sheets of plastic all over my body was a full pleather dress:
This one is by The Whitepepper and I got it on ebay. I totally dig what my uncle terms the "art teacher smock", and this one really does tick all of the boxed because it has pockets. I honestly cannot understand why all dresses don't come with pockets, unless I'm making them myself, because pockets are really hard. Although this dress does have a similar breathability issue, sometimes it's nice to be trapped in a sauna of your own making, particularly in South London in December. There are no fart-noise problems / funny japes, or squeaking against the seat embarrassments. When I wore this dress Lilly called me "a Spice Girl" and "a female pimp". When I wore the trouser she said I "was dressed like Prince". All great compliments (they are definitely compliments).

The next stage in my pleather journey is finally working out how to wear my pleather cap. I actually like it, but so far everybody in my life disagrees. (My mum said "this isn't what you do!" and Alex actually used to word "hate" - rude.) Sorry for this weird photo, the selfie-situation in my current studio (bedroom) isn't up to par - just kidding, S&D, thanks for letting me stay here!!!

 Is it just me, or is there a sort of religious-figure element to the above photo? The arms above the head, the haunting eyes, the backwards baseball cap...
If you need anymore convincing of the wonders of pleather-life, here is a GIF of my queen, Adore Delano, doing a dance move that I truly respect:
 My Hero.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

empties#4

Simple Soothing Eye Balm was a very standard eye cream. I'm sure for the price it's good, but I'm not convinced on the whole eye-cream thing. I'm sure if you're moisturising around your eyes, you don't need this.
Nature's Aid Triple Strength Rose Water is lovely. I like the fact it's a one ingredient, natural product, which is v soothing, moisturising etc. It's also nice to spray over makeup to give you a "glow" (shine).
Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is both good and overrated. It does do something, but I'm not sure it does enough to warrant how expensive it is.
Soap and Glory Hand Food is a very nice hand cream, as you can tell by the fact I cut the tube open to finish it.
Tesco Organic Coconut Oil is very much a coconut oil. I wouldn't buy this over any other, but nor would I choose a different one over this. It is much of a muchness to me.
Superdrug Volumising Dry Shampoo is SO GOOD. I don't really use this as a dry shampoo, more as a textursing spray. It adds so much grit and volume and is so cheap, I'm just going to buy this one forever now.
Toni and Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray is a good salt spray, I really have no more to say.
Ren Micro Polish Cleanser is good, but I'm not convinced that scrubs do good things for skin. So I won't purchase the full size.
Just thought I would put on record than this Cuticura Hand Sanitizer is my favourite. It smells nice like cucumber.
This Aquaphor tube was the gift that would not stop giving. I inherited this when my housemate moved back to America and it was nearly empty then. This was great for healing up a skinned knee suffered from a bad fall during a high kick competition. 

Boring reviews, but I am finishing things! I don't know if this purging process is pro or anti consumerism. I am trying to lead a more simple and streamlined life, but I'm doing so by consuming a bunch of products. See, there is a more ideological question to this than initially meets the eye #thinkaboutit.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

brown lipstick love

Lilly was right, I was wrong. Brown lipstick is amazing and makes you look like a boss. In the past few month I have accumulated a comprehensive collection, for every look and every pricepoint (unless you are rich, in which case, no).

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nudeist is a great beginners brown, mostly because it is primarily pink. It stays on for ages and ages without drying out the lips and sort of draws attention to your lips without adding any colourfulness. Hot top: mixing this with more full on browns makes a nice pinky-brown which is more longlasting.
Maybelline Superstay 14hr in Beige for Good is a nice nude-ish brown, which again pulls focus to the lips without being a "bold lip" which can sometimes look a bit try-hard. This has a bit of a funny texture and goes from slippy to very very dry quite quickly so topping up is a bit of a bummer. However if you apply and let it dry without faffing with it, it will last v well.
ELF Essentials Lipstick in Fantasy is a very basic, browny pinky, slippy and non-drying formula lipstick. Because of this it isn't the most long lasting, but because it's cheap you can just carry it with you and shove some more on.
Laval Lipstick in Mink has a great brown with a hint of purple colour. Although it looks similar, it is actually more cool-toned than the ELF lipstick. This is the cheapest of the bunch and for the price is amazing, but smells like melted plastic.
Stargazer Matte Lipstick in 208 is a really great dark chocolatey brown. It is matte and very longlasting without being drying. It has a sort of waxy texture which sounds unpleasant but I promise it isn't. I really love this to get the look of a "dark lip" but again without introducing any colour to an outfit.
But it is in Topshop Lipstick in Boardroom that I have found my best brown. It is very cool toned and purpley, and makes you look like a badass corpse. It is long-lasting, non-drying and everything I have ever wanted in my brown lipstick quest. 
Here they all are "swatched" in the same order, because I am very professional and a good blogger. However, because it is winter in England, it gets dark at about ten to three, so the lighting isn't the best, and for that I can only apologise.

Monday 1 December 2014

four albums i like

I'm not a person who is good with music. When anybody asks me what I like my blood runs cold, because the true answer to that question is thus: either whiney white-boy folk music, or female rap. With that in mind, here are four things I have been listening to a lot recently and liking.
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. I knew I would like this and I do. The singer has the nasally quivery voice that I am especially partial to, the lyrics are cool and imaginative, and it sounds good in my ears.
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South. This is the sound of a bunch of great mates having a good time (for proof, see documentary One Of My Kind). There are a few songs on this that I am not keen on, but I absolutely love Air Mattress (see above) and Ten Women. And Roosevelt Room. Basically anything Conor Oberst touches turns into something I will probably enjoy. 
Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste. I am so happy this has arrived in my life. I think it so weird and cool and creative. Also, the track listed above (Miss Camaraderie) I feel like I had heard before in a dream or something. When I heard it it made me feel weird in a good way, and it is still my ultimate favourite. I really don't like Nude Beach-a-go-go, though, and I feel the need for that fact to be recorded on the internet.


Nicki Minaj - Beam Me Up Scotty Mixtape. Although there are some dodgy parts of this mixtape, this is the Nicki Minaj I fell in love with. How can you dislike lyrics like "I keep three hoes, But don't call me Santa / And I am flyer then Reindeer in the Winta"? Brilliant, silly, funny, well done. Also I want to include the video for Pills n Potions, because I think it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing things I have ever seen:
Love ya Nicki.

Sunday 30 November 2014

i knitted two jumpers

I have always known how to knit and have used my skills to make some very amusing gifts for friends (I made Tom Glencross a hat with a bobble the size of a baby's head which I am particularly proud of). But my whole life I never thought I could actually knit a full garment which I would actually wear. If you are in the same position, eg. have only ever made scarves / hats / blankets, then I am here to tell you: jumpers are not hard. And they give you an excuse to watch an entire season of MTV's "Are You The One?" in a day (guilty as charged).
 Here is the first one I did. The picture isn't great but it is a really nice khaki colour with a bit of dimension. This was really easy, it was knitted in one piece wrist to wrist. I followed a Kaffe Fassett pattern but changed it quite a lot, making it wider, with a smaller neckline and thinner sleeves. 
 And here is me wearing the jumper, where the colour looks a lot better. I was very proud of myself and am now officially a "knitter". That means, I always have a project on the go, and I am genuinely contemplating buying a "knitting bag".
After my triumph with jumper #1, I decided I could do a proper jumper made of four whole pieces. And even this wasn't too hard! I used a pattern from ravelry, which is a website my mum uses for pattern sharing, but again I changed it a lot. I am very glad that I did the bottom of it how I did, it has a border and side splits and I think it has a really nice effect. This is in a lovely beige / camel colour with black flecks. 
Here it is on. I am so cool and clever at knitting.
If anybody wants I can definitely share the patterns I used (made up) then I would be more than happy to share, but I'm under the impression that to most people it would just be nonsense taking up space in my (otherwise aesthetically immaculate- har har) blog. But maybe even if you don't like these exact designs, this could inspire ya. Knitting is very fun and completing little projects is very good for my mental wellbeing, and then at the end you have a new and very warm and relatively inexpensive jumper!

Saturday 29 November 2014

stylish boys

Here are some photos of boys, ones who I like anyway for their work and their personalities (and usually for their hansy-ness), but also for their fly clothes.
Here is something I have loved for about four years, Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes wearing a khaki felt cape with black fur lining. This is literally all I have ever wanted from an item of outerwear and have never found. I think I could actually make this myself with a bit of effort. I couldn't find the original photos of this which I fell in love with, but he did a LOT of twirling about and other cape-related fun. Good Job Coberst.
 Here is Conor again wearing many different shades of black, a "good hat", a bunch of necklaces and a gummy smile. CUTE!
Here is a photo of general fabulousness. Obviously RuPaul looks like everything I've ever wanted to be, but I'm not sure I can really focus on Ru in a post about boy fashion. The purpose of this is to illustrate that, although this is not the point at all, I like the way Kurt Cobain dressed. Stripes, blonde bob, fun sunglasses (fun-glasses), vg.
 Here is another picture I have admired for many years. It's the combination of a million things which works for me. This is what I am trying to emulate when I wear leopard-print, and not "a pimp" which is what Lilly has accused me of looking like.
Matthew Gray Gubler is, imo, the handsomest of all the handsomes. Here he is looking v soft-grunge in a stripey lacoste jumper. Bonus points for it being a polaroid.
Matthew stop it. Put that lower-stomach away. Loving a big stripey jumper and black jeans, cool and understated, particularly when paired with the one-strand-fringe.
 
Did you know that MGG always wears odd socks because he believes he falls over if he doesn't? This is the sort of mad-thinking I can get on board with. Even though he is wearing corduroy in the photo, which I wouldn't normally condone, he makes up for it with the non-matching dinosaur socks. By the way, you should all follow MGG on instagram, he is very insane and hilarious.

So there are some photos of boys which I like to keep in mind when I get dressed. Bonus Picture of Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (aka the best television show ever).

Friday 28 November 2014

more rubbish (you're welcome)

Another episode of me trying to downsize my life before I move to America for a bit (nbd).
The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil is very nice indeed. It smells good and removes makeup really fast and without having to do any scrubbing. I don't tend to wear enough makeup to warrant using this every day but when I do, it is very useful. I usually only wear a lot of makeup when I'm getting drunk, and when I'm drunk this is great and very quick.
Maybelline Brow Drama is ok. It is good to put on after you do your eyebrows to make them look a bit more "hairy" and less like flat drawn-on brows. However, I am so over spending time on my eyebrows, so I like to use some sort of brow mascara which fills them in as well. This Maybelline one isn't enough for me to use on its own and having to use multiple products in my eyebrows is effort I am not willing to undertake.
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Thingy didn't do anything for me.
Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray is very good. I bought approximately a billion of these when there was a good deal on them and this marks the end of them. I'm sure I will buy this again but right now I'm using the superdrug dry shampoo with volume and that is very comparable and costs about one pound!
 Kiko City Filter Sunscreen I liked. You would be forgiven for not being able to tell what this is because for some reason the letters on the bottle moved around. It screened by skin from sun and didn't do much else, but I prefer the Bioderma one so I'm not buying it again.
Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover I found gimmicky and pointless. It's quick,  but also how long does removing nail polish actually take anyway?? Silly.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is the best concealer ever. I use Vanilla which is a bit pale but it's also fine. Covers up everything but doesn't look like a ton of makeup. Already repurchased - this one lasted a year of nearly-daily use. 
Boots Botanics Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz is really nice. I would spray this on my face all day long if I could. Works under makeup as a toner to soothe and hydrate or over makeup to add a glow (I like to look kinda sheeny). The bad points are that I went through this quite fast, and that is has alcohol in it. Instead of repurchasing I just got some 100% rosewater on Amazon and put it in this spray bottle.

Again, I feel the need to apologise for this weird and potentially boring sort of blog post. But I am enjoying seeing the surplus of my "beauty" things shrinking and this is a good way to record it I reckon. Ok, goodbye.

Sunday 2 November 2014

my pouch

I like to change my bag with a fair amount of frequency, and the decision to do so is often made when about to run out of the door. Hence, my pouch: the handbag within a handbag which makes changeovers easy and speedy and also make sure you don't leave any man behind. It also is paramount to the maintenance of a tidy handbag, and thus the illusion of a tidy mind.
Here is my pouch of choice, which I got for free from Ren for spending too much money. I like it because it's white, unobtrusive and have a nice zip closure. Also even if I didn't like it, I'm not going to buy a new pouch, I'm not insane. For the record, don't worry, I'm not under the illusions that anyone actually cares about me and my pouch. But for selfish reasons, in the formation of your own pouch, this could be quite useful. I helped my mum with her pouch and I do think it genuinely changed her life.
So: my pouch. I always have a hand sanitizer because you never know when you'll accidentally drop your phone down the toilet, that is something I have always said. Mine is from Aldi but I'm not really into the smell of intense grass. I also always have a hand cream because I am eighty-five years old. This one was a pound from Superdrug and I really really like it. The little moisturiser from Aveeno was free in the post, and its useful for other dryness-related problems.
Plasters and medicines are good for someone as accident prone as myself. The medicines are ibuprofen (usually for headaches) and allergy medicine for when I accidentally get bitten by a horsefly - the doctor told me I should have it with me at all times so he no longer has to look at my bare ass when I get bitten on it. I also have a pill box from a car boot sale with more allergy medicine in, because I'm not really into showing the doctor my bare ass either (despite what he may tell you).
I have a pen, for obvious reasons (mostly underlining the clever and funny bits in whatever book I'm reading). At the moment I have a pencil, a sharpener and a rubber too, because, fun fact, you aren't allowed pens in the British Library. This blog is truly a learning experience for you.
The other things are makeup related. A Nars concealer in "Vanilla" because it's the best. This one is basically empty and I have another full one which I use when getting ready. Maybelline Babylips in "Peach Kiss" because it's my favourite lip product at the moment, and is both a balm and a makes-lips-nicer thing. A mirror for staring into and writing love poetry. The RMS Living Luminizer, which is a frankly ridiculously priced highlighting paste type of thing. It is so so nice but I still can't believe I bought it. A nice gold spray bottle from a charity shop which is full of the &Other Stories Fig perfume. This is good for when you stink, like really stink. An eyebrow pencil from The Body Shop, for obvious reasons. A purple lipstick from Stargazer. I really like Stargazer lipsticks because they have loads of fun colours and they're really cheap. And finally a brown mascara which I use on my eyelashes sometimes, but mostly on my eyebrows to make them look hairier.
So there you have it, the contents of my pouch laid out for all to see. Don't say I don't spoil you.

Thursday 30 October 2014

"empties" (rubbish) #2

Aloe Lip Care from The Body Shop. This lip balm is very very good and I have nothing bad to say about it. I think it is better than Nuxe Reve de Miel (audience gasps). The only reason I haven't immediately repurchased it is because I want to finish up a few more Body Shop things and then I can do a big order with some sort of online discount code.
On the subject of lip balm, can you tell that I have a dog? I bought this at poundland during a particularly broke time in my life and it was very good and fine. The reason I prefer the Aloe one if that this gives stingy lips, which can be distracting when you're trying to get to sleep, so it only works during the day.
Although this eye cream was a sample, I'm including it because it lasted for about nine months. I also finished the Superfacialist Neroli eye cream but I accidentally threw it in the bin because I forgot that I was taking photos of my rubbish nowadays (sorry). To be honest, every eye cream I've ever tried seems to be the same, that is to say alright. 
Finished the Dr. Jart Waterfuse BB Cream. My emotions about this went up and down, but overall I do think I liked it. The thing is, it claims to be really moisturising, but I found it looked really bad over dry bits. So it only works sometimes for me. At the moment I'm really over wearing anything on my skin except concealer where I need it. I like the look of a bare face as opposed to a "bare face". But if I ever want a light-base-with-spf product again, I probably would get this. If you do want to buy it, wait until Boots do the one-third-off premium skincare that they do a couple of times a year. Then it ends up costing £12 for 50ml, and "cheap" BB creams are usually around £8 for 30ml, so it works out and you'll get a much better product for your $$$. #tips
I'm throwing away this Seventeen On the Spot concealer because it's nearly done and I think it's gone wrong. This is a bit of a weird thing. I did find a way to use it that I like, which was applying it on bare skin with a fluffy brush and not wearing anything else over it. It doesn't have very much coverage and I think it only comes in the shade medium, which is a bit dark and a bit grey toned. Won't repurchase because it's not a necessary thing in my life.
This is a very gross Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, it isn't finished but it needs to go because it is old and possibly rancid. I'm not buying this again. It covers up all your problems, but it comes at a cost: the problem area is replaced by lifeless, matte, clay-like skin. It's a personal preference, but I'd prefer to accept the blemish and look like a human being. 
Finally, here are two mascaras, which in all honestly were almost exactly the same. All the L'oreal waterproof mascaras are very good if you like that sort of thing, but for right now I'm more into wearing a cheap (£1) brown mascara so it looks like I'm not wearing mascara but I'm just a pretty princess naturally. But if I do decided I want some serious spiky lashes in the future, I'd go for one of these (probs the False Lash Telescopic, bc the ad campaign for the Miss Manga really annoyed me for no reason).

I don't know if this is boring or good or what. I like doing them so I can talk about what I like and don't with a sense of purpose, also I enjoy documenting the finishing of things because it's important to celebrate every accomplishment in life. I guess if you think these are boring then don't read them? I don't really know who is reading this anyway apart from Lil (hi Lil), and myself, and I might as well do what I like right? BYE X

Wednesday 29 October 2014

the clumpoes

If there's one thing that will instantly sell me on a pair of shoes, it's clumpiness. Firstly, as someone who falls over a fair amount, I think it's beneficial to have something heavy on the end of each leg to anchor them to the ground. Secondly, although I am already what would commonly be called a 'tall girl', an extra few inches makes all the difference. My clumpiest pair take me to about six foot three, and make me feel POWERFUL. Another reason for this power, is the innate knowledge in my head that I could, if it came to it, deliver a very painful kick in the balls. I know I'm always banging on about Murakami, but I really love his ball-kicking analogy in 1Q84. "The number of people who could deliver a kick to the balls with Aomame’s mastery must have been few indeed. She had studied kick patterns with great diligence and never missed her daily practice. In kicking the balls, the most important thing was never to hesitate. One had to deliver a lightning attack to the adversary’s weakest point and do so mercilessly and with the utmost ferocity—just as when Hitler easily brought down France by striking at the weak point of the Maginot Line. One must not hesitate. A moment of indecision could be fatal." Not that I often (or indeed, have ever) delivered such a kick, but it's nice to be secure in the knowledge that you could. Here is a tour of my favourite clumpoes.
These are from a charity shop in south London and they cost £10!! These are relatively flat and I think they are actually made for a man.
My next pair of clumpoes I got in the summer, and are from New Look (which is not very cool, but I am afraid it is the truth). These were the shoes that introduced me to the fact that a clumpy heel doesn't come at the sacrifice of comfort. I wore these on my 21st birthday and managed to keep them on through ten pints of prosecco and an enthusiastic dance of the charleston. They did break once but I managed to fix them using superglue and a blunt knife.
Now onto the clumpoes that you can still purchase for your very own! (if you want to copy me, which I can totally understand / respect.) These are from H&M and I completely bought them by accident. I went in with Alex to buy him some jeans, he left me unsupervised for five minutes and look what happened. Anyway, I regret nothing because 1) they are very comfy and 2) when I wore these, two sassy south London girls pointed at me and said "look at her shoes" to each other. Job done. Available here.
Finally, the clumpoes of my actual dreams. I know these were an "unnecessary" purchase, but they can be justified. Firstly, they are all black with no metal on them anywhere so they go with everything. Secondly, these actually are my ideal pair of shoes - part school-girl and part construction worker, with a touch of "cool-fashion-girl". They are also very comfy, which is either a running theme for all clumpoes, or a running theme for me. They are from Topshop and are available here.

Clumpoes forever!!!! 

Wednesday 24 September 2014

some dana scully style moments

I'm pretty sure Scully is the coolest girl ever. Doctor, FBI agent and badass extraordinaire, her clothes and makeup always lend an air of relaxed cool. Here she pairs a neat blow dry with smudgy eyeliner and a brown lip, for the perfect exasperated-at-Mulder face.

 Still very much exasperated, here Scully rocks a grey crop t-shirt with a red lip for lots of hands-on-hips sass. Also, how perfectly does this screenshot capture the season one Mulder and Scully dynamic? V. proud.

 50 shades of beige and looking good for it. Say what you want about Dana Scully, but she has strong maxi coat game and I won't hear a word against it.

 The glasses of my dreams make an appearance during a VIP (very interesting phonecall). Unfortunately the Specsavers approximation of these glasses make me look like a suspicious geography teacher but such is life.
 
 Casual Scully makes dressing for a weekend getaway to a cabin in the woods full of parasitic silica-based fungus look easy. Had to capture her at this awkward angle to display her genius use of what she would call a "barrette". Great coat, great rucksack, GREAT jumper. Nice use of minimal accessories with the ubiquitous gold studs. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

Sunday 21 September 2014

some product "empties"

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control Daily Cleansing Lotion. This is quite good. I use this not as a cleanser (don't really see how that would work) but as an acid toner on clean skin, usually in the morning. For me, I prefer to use a salicylic or BHA toner in the morning and a glycolic or AHA toner at night. This is one of a few cheap salicylic lotions that are much of a muchness imo. The ingredients aren't the best as it is an alarming bright green colour and it is heavily fragranced (I had this is a spray bottle in Turkey bc of aeroplane liquid regulations and if I inhaled any of the spray it was a bad situation). But my skin stayed relatively clear while using it and I would buy it again, I just tend to buy whatever is the cheapest at the time.
 Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser. This was also quite good. It smells really nice and minty and cleans your face thoroughly without drying anything out too much. However this is £18 for 150ml, and for me, that is too much for this particular product. I'm using the La Roche Posay Effaclar face wash now which is about £10 for 200ml, and I actually prefer it. So this is goodbye forever to this product.
Lacura Aqua Complete Multi Intensive Serum. I really do like this. It is from Aldi (#glam) and costs about £3 but it feels similar to much more expensive serums I've tried. I sort of used this as a serum and moisturiser two in one type deal and I used three (!!!) over the summer, because they were easy to pick up whilst I was moving around a lot. I haven't repurchased yet because I'm on a buying ban until I've used up all the other things I have, but this is well good! Will buy again for a light daytime moisturiser which is still really hydrating, non-comedogenic and cheap as balls.
 Ren Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser. Very satisfying to say out loud. I got it and I liked it, then I hated it (felt like it was leaving a greasy film), then I decided to finish it off and by the end I liked it again. It seems really moisturising to me, but definitely good for mildly spotty skin. If you have more moderate to severe acne I think this probably would be a bit greasy, and there is probably a better cleanser out there for you. Although I do like clay-based cleansers, I wouldn't buy this again because I find for my skin the Neutrogena clay cleanser does a really similar job without the greasy feeling and is cheaper.