By Lesley Goulding

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Off With Your Bra

My favourite part of the day since I started wearing a bra at 16, has always been taking said bra off at the end of each day. The relief that would flow through my body after I whipped the bra to the other side of my bedroom, not to be seen till the following day, was truly a beautiful thing to feel. How these devices of torture are normal is ridiculous. I was forever fixing the band of them, as I found it constantly dug into my ribcage. When I wore dresses or anything that required giving the girls a bit of a lift, always resulted in an exasperated sigh as I put on my go-to back satin go to dress bra on, and look to my dismay, at the empty space in the left boob holder - yes my boobs are different sizes, so are most womens, as are most humans legs different legs - so when a staph infection I had traveled to my breast earlier in the year I was more than happy to not wear a bra, and I had an actual medical reason to why I couldn't wear one. 

Around Christmas time I got my first my staph infection ( which any of you who are readers here will know) at this time I also developed dermatitis on a very sensitive area. My nipples. It came with a lot of complications, chaffing being the number one problem. It seemed if I was tired, they'd flare, wear the wrong bra, flare, even at times I felt if I ate something too sugary it'd flare. Then fast forward to my third infection of the year. This particular bacterial infection I had traveled to my breast causing a cyst to develop in my breast tissue. I touched on this incident slightly on my social media accounts and the sheer terror when this cyst - its presence unknown to me - ruptured on my way home from town one day. The pain I felt was like nothing else I had experienced, and for it to be in my boob was terrifying in itself as a woman. This now ruptured cyst left me with a very prominent  infection in my boob which manifested  in my nipple. Meaning bras were not an option until it healed. If all of this sounds highly uncomfortable to you, thats because it was highly uncomfortable. 


Going for a month without a bra left me with a new sense of liberation that I could indeed get away with not wearing a bra, and as a small chested gal it didn't cause too much problems when I went to exercise - just chiming in here that I don't do cardio so the twins really weren't put through their paces without support. As it stands I hate bras, and not being able to wear one wasn't that big of a deal, but when everything healed I was left with the skin around my nipples and themselves being even more sensitive to certain materials found in bras. And so my hatred towards modern  My go to bralette at the time was an American Apparel halterneck cotton bralette which I bought for €15 squid at christmas time, and to my dismay I missed the closing store sale of AA on grafton street and missed the ideal opportunity to stock up on the perfect bralette. But fear not, I have scouted out other ideal bralettes made with textile contact dermatitis friendly materials. Check out my selections below! I'm a firm believer that basic is better. 



I have always wanted to purchase something from Base Range and
I think now is the time to indulge myself when everything is made
from organise cotton, how could I not?
Base Range Kinch Bra - €35


This lined lace bralete from Monki is a great way to add a bit of sauce to your initiates without irritation
Monki @Asos €10.13

This criss cross hater neck cotton bralette from Boohoo is
like a dream to me now that Amercian Apparel is no longer.
Boohoo - #7.00

The perfect sports cotton bra from Pretty Little Thing
This perfect grey cotton sports bra from Pretty Little Thing  is the ideal substitute
PLT - €13.50



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I recently picked up this soft bra from Cos in the
summer sale and it is my new favourite bra.
I got mine for €10 in store.
Cos - €19



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Monday, July 10, 2017

Skin Stories : Scarring

I have a chicken pock scar right in between my eyes on the bridge of my nose. A little further down I have another scar that likes to make an appearance during the summer, this particular one was acquired when I was toddler when I fell head first into a bush of rosesThat scar story sounds like the beginning of a fairytale somehow 
                   “… and so the young princess fell into the blooming bush of pink roses…”

Some scars though aren’t as lovingly narrative or am I particularly fond of. That being the acne scarring and viral infection scarring I’ve been left with. It’s not news to anyone, but I feel it bears major repeating : Acne and Dermatitis scars suck. Anyone who has suffered from post pimple hyper-pigmentation knows this too true to be self evident. Acne scaring can affect every age, from the beginning of puberty right into adulthood anyone can be afflicted with them. With dermatitis, the wear and tear of swelling, itching and scaling can take its toll on delicate areas of your face such as you're eyelids, lips, cheeks and neck. ( all areas I've been affected)

Acne scarring manifests as red or brown marks - sometimes if you're acne was deep you’ll notice even a purple tinge if you're very pale- that can last weeks, and sometimes for the quite unlucky, months. Dermatitis ‘scarring’ on the other hand can weaken the delicate skin around the eye and lips. As a young adult who suffers with dermatitis, I’m in the lucky category that I am still producing collagen that can lessen the effects of the dermatitis on these areas. But I am, still left with the dry lines around my neck and even my torso is affected because my epidermal layer is so damaged and dehydrated. One of the major lingering affects of years of dermatitis is hyper pigmentation and easily inflamed skin.If you've been afflicted with dermatitis on your eyes like me, maybe you’ve noticed very fine lines around the lids and under the eye, and how sensitive they are to almost everything. 

I do consider myself lucky as my skin is becoming clear in the brighter months of the year, meaning I can slowly allow my skin to get some natural Vitamin D to help the skin on my face - but of course I am wearing factor 50 when I’m out and about, even on grey days. As someone who has both types of scarring, I have been trying everything to help my skin look healthy again. 


Telling you to eat grapefruit, use Johnson's Baby Oil and drink water is not on this list mind you.

But I am also a realist : I realise that some lines are not going to go unless I look to lasers and even *ahem* botox. I still laughed and enjoyed life when my skin was at its worst, so of course my laughter lines around the eyes are a smidgen more pronounced than others my age. And the purple scarring may not budge completely unless I were to look at Retin-A. But those high grade skin treatments will remain out of reach for the majority thanks to both the price, but also for those with sometimes infuriating, dermatitis and sensitivity. Most of us  dermatitis warriors, will never enjoy a face mask completely relaxed, thanks to the underlying stupid worry of possibly reacting to it. ( I swear I am not bitter. Maybe I am sorta… I would really like to enjoy a spa day okay!)

That said though, there are still quite a few products, which thankfully are all non prescription, that do a pretty good job at smoothing out those scars, and helping evening your complexion. I’m now a month into scar healing, and I definitely my more pronounced scars on my chin are less obvious. To my eyes anyway. Which I guess is more important, as we are all our own worst critics. 

Without further rambling, maybe I should, like, introduce some products that have been tested by myself, and some others which promise to fade scars overtime which I’ve investigated, researched, and pried into their online history of customer comments. Yea? Lets get to it then.


Bio Oil.  - Tried & Tested

A legendary product that has divided many people on its lofty claims that it will diminish scars, stretch marks ( does it though? ) uneven skin tone, signs of ageing and dehydrated skin. So this miraculous oil, I can personally attest does indeed live up to most of its claims. I use this every morning and night after cleansing - I’ve been messaging it into my chin until my skin has soaked up all the oily goodness. I have indeed noticed a change in my skin tone, and certainly the scarring on my chin. I woke up just this morning amazed at how even my skin tone was, I usually awake to a few blotchy patches around my mouth and eyes. The stretch marks claim however I’m not too sure. Has anybody ever noticed a difference in their stretch marks from bio oil? If so, please let us all know, still hanging on to the moment I hear someone that it actually worked for. But for scars? It works a charm. I buy mine from pennys cause I’m cheap and cheerful like that, or in Meaghers Pharmacy in the Mater so I can avail of my employee discount. 



Bio Oil skincare 
Bio Oil - 8.99 Primark 



Drunk Elephant -  Reviews & Research

I only recently heard of Drunk Elephant, so when I came across this night serum that exclaims to “Refine & Regenerate” I was interested to know what was in it other than raspberries and chestnuts (Imagine that in your salad.. blegh. Desert though?)  For all the sensitive skin folks out there, choosing a refining and regenerating product can be tricky. You can’t go for harsh products or you may react and your face may fall off. Over dramatic I know, but the fear is real. 


The one ingredient I don't go near because of my delicate like-a-flower skin, is salicylic acid, it’s just way too harsh. So when I saw the Drunk Elephants night serum contain gycolic acid, I was a happy bunny to be able to add on to this list. Glycolic acid is less sticky, and certainly less irritating that salicylic. (And one of the most talked about ingredients for exfoliation currently, just by the way. ) What it does is rid your pores of blackheads, exfoliates your dead skin and also the magic trick, lightens your pigmentation. This wont be the only product I feature on this list with gylcolic, but this is certainly on the pricier side than say.. bio oil from pennys…I did reach out to Drunk Elephant about samples, as sample sizes are the best way to try out a new product without spending all your wages. Unfortunately the site doesn't samples, but instead they suggested going into my local Sephora ( I WISH ) and the folks there would be able to sort out a sample for me. When I do get my hands on a sample, I'll let you all know if it truly does what it claims. 
After discussing what was happening with my skin, the amazing Clinique technician was able to suggest their 3 step Anti Blemish range. Me being me though, waited to buy the ‘travel size’ when I flew to Eidenhoven 2 weeks later. Since then, I have always kept a bottle of the Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion ( what a mouthful ) in the house. Whats amazing about this bottle of liquid is it acts as so much more than just a ‘toner’. Taken away from the other two products in the Anti Blemish Range, it is an amazing stand alone product. This lotion exfoliates dead cells, unclogs pores, reduces excess oil, and according to the site - is formulated to soothe irritation and redness. I have been using the lotion again in recent months, after I cleanse, and have seen improvements in my skin texture and pigmentation around scared areas. I honestly think the improvement in my scarring comes down to the use of this lotion and bio oil. 
But. I do have a qualm or two. The smell of alcohol off the product is strong, which would make a sensitive skin gal think it is not the product for them. But the technician insisted the alcohol used is “cosmetics grade”, makes it sound nicer, but is still alcohol. Also, the fact this product unfortunately contains salicylic acid, is why, it stings like nobodies business. Thos of us who have any crack, or dried skin, and decide to use this lotion that works wonders for scarring and texture, will suffer with the stingy-s for what feels like a lifetime, but is only 10 seconds in reality, afterwards. This ingredient is the culprit in why so many people complain of irritation after using it. But, do I recommend ? Yes, because this is about scarring and pigmentation, which it certainly works on. This lotion may be part of their 3 step Anti-Blemish solutions, but I happily recommend this toner as a solution for scarring too.






skincare brand drunk elephant scarring
Drunk Elephant. TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum $90


Clinique- Tried &Tested

When I first started developing acne I was on cyclosporine. At the time my skin had no clue what it wanted to be. I was dry, I was oily, I was sensitive, I was congested, I was, basically a nightmare. I was running out of cetaphil cleanser, and at a loss of how to actually help and treat my skin, so I paid a visit to go ol’ Brown Thomas Beauty Department. I’m pretty sure I spoke to most of the skincare brands, but Clinique was the only one that stood out ( eh hello, dermatologically tested, obviously it stood out ) 




Clinique Anti Blemish Clarifying Lotion €25






Thats it for now! I've purposely only reviewed two products I've tried as these are my go to products right now for scarring problems. I hope you've found this information useful and had fun reading it. Have you ever used any of the products I've mentioned here? Tell us how you found the product! 

What is your go to product for scarring and hyper pigmentation? 
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Friday, July 7, 2017

Photo Diary || London





A small curation of some of my favourite photos I took while in London back in May. 
A mixture of Shoreditch, Mayfair, Kensington, Chelsea, I left no place untouched in the three days I spent exploring as a sole traveller. I even indulged in a white linen service at the Rex Whistler, which to everyone reading, if you visit the Tate you must make a reservation to eat here. It was amazing. There is certainly something about London which will always have a bit of my heart. 




























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