Lucy Mary

Think of it, we expose our skin to some impurities, dirt, pollution, sun rays and differing temperatures throughout the day. It's important that our skin is allowed to rejuvenate itself overnight, ready for the next day. Night cream definitely helps to aid that rejuvenation and refreshment. I think people get put off using a night cream because the texture is thick. In fact, that is the whole reason to start using it. It's thicker because, unlike moisturiser, you're not going to wear makeup straight after use. Moisturiser is a thinner texture because women usually wear makeup straight after application. A night cream is thicker as your skin has more time for it to absorb. If that makes sense! 

As I said, we're told how to create a rather extensive morning skincare routine. It's important to create just as extensive evening skincare routine. And also get a good night cream for your bedside table.

Here are the reasons why you should be using a night cream in your evening skincare:

Providing your skin with that extra hydration at night is so important. A lot of night creams contain anti-ageing properties and also vitamins, so topping up your skin with some much-needed vitamins is a good thing right?! 

Like I said earlier, our skin is exposed to a lot of different things such as pollution and dirt every day, so it's important that your skin relaxes at night. A night cream is a great way to help your skin be ready for the next day. 

As night cream is so moisturising and nourishing, it's a brilliant skincare product to help combat dry skin. Applying a night cream before bedtime will allow you to wake up with much more moisturised skin in the morning.

If heaven forbid, you suffer from acne, using a night cream can help to diminish the acne over time. It could be a long process, but it will be worth it in the long run. Obviously, I'm fully aware that it may not work for some, but it may be worth a try. 

I know, I know, I should focus on the nighttime, but hear me out. Having that moisturised skin overnight by using a night cream can help it feel moisturised during the day, even after using your day moisturiser and doing your morning skincare routine.

Before buying, do your research. Find one that is true to your skin type eg normal, dry, oily or combination. I've used quite a few different ones in the past, but I haven't really found my true soulmate in terms of night cream. So go by recommendations or what you think your skin would prefer. It'll be a trial and error experiment, but worth it! 

Do you use a night cream? I would love to know which one you use if you do!

Knowing what to share on Instagram Stories doesn't have to be hard. The one good thing about Stories is that you don't have to put too much effort in if you don't want to. It's about knowing what you want to share and sharing what your followers would like to know. I've written in the past about how to create banging Instagram Stories here. But, if you're sitting here reading this and are stuck for inspo for Instagram Story ideas, then this post is for you!

Here are some Instagram Story ideas if you struggling for inspiration -

I'm all for sharing my thoughts on Stories. Before I do, I'll make sure that it's something that my followers and the people I follow are talking about. I like being careful about what I share my thoughts on. Some topics can be a trigger for someone, so it's important for me to remember that. I know that some topics trigger my mental health/anxiety. I'll immediately skip a Story if it's about a subject that's a trigger for me. But yes, get your followers involved with things like this. Ask for their opinion, reading other people's opinions is so interesting! 

This is something I like to do every 6 months. During six months, you will get an influx of Instagram followers, however big or small. When you do, do a little quiz about yourself. It's a great way for your followers to get to know you! Ask questions that are simple and ones that are completely random! I love it when someone I follow does a quiz about themselves, it's a great way for me to get to know them!

There's a national day for something every day of the year. One day it could be National Strawberry Day, then the next it could be National Give Up Smoking Day. Every day is a new national day! This sounds really organised (or weird), but at the start of the week, I like to check out the next 7 days of National Days, then think of ideas/questions of how I can post about them on my Stories. I kind of like having a planned week for Stories, but also posting random things from my day too!

Love fashion? Start a fashion series. Love beauty? Start a beauty series. Love gardening? Start a - well, you know where I'm going with this now. Starting a series on Instagram Stories is a way of getting your followers to associate you with something. For example, once a week, I do a series called Weekday Wishlist, where I post clothes that I have loved online during the last 7 days or so. I do a poll for each item of clothing and ask my followers if they love the item or not. Obviously, you don't have to religiously commit to doing it weekly, but it's something you can do a couple of times a month. 

I love to give a shoutout to my favourite content creators once in a while. Especially new content creators which I have discovered and want to tell my little Instagram world about. All content creators appreciate a shoutout, so if you get the chance, shout them out!

When all else fails, upload a question sticker with 'Ask me anything'. You're always guaranteed you'll be asked one question.