YouTubers You Should Be Following (3rd Edition) | Just Add Ginger

For me being a mum has meant that I've had to make certain sacrifices relating to my daily routine. Before baby I would happily spend an hour or two going through my YouTube subscription box catching up on videos that I may have missed from the week. However now I need to be much more selective. With much less time to myself my subscription list is now neatly curated to include only those creators whose videos are a must-watch. 

Sharing YouTubers I'm loving how now become a bit of a series on my blog now. And I'm quite happy to have it as a feature. I know how much energy, time and motivation goes in to making videos, and I think we need to celebrate this more and praise those who we think are nailing it (especially given how negative things have gotten recently).

I'm sure you'll know all of these ladies, but if you don't, head over to their channels and check them out. You may just discover a new favourite yourself.

Lydia Elise Millen 

I've been a follower of Lydia's for quite a few years. Seeing her start off as a blogger and now watching her YouTube videos always fills me with awe. The style, quality and presentation of her content is just amazing. Plus she is simply stunning (can we say "hair goals") I love watching her vlogs the most at the moment because they provide me with the ultimate escapism from life when my anxiety decided to pay a visit. Ones to catch up on are her wedding dress shopping videos, lookbooks, and her trip to the Maldives.

Holly Samanthaa 

From her vlogs to her makeup tutorials, Holly Samanthaa is just so personable a YouTuber to watch. She does so much and is so multi-talented that I feel so lazy in comparison (she bakes, is fab at nails and makeup, does YouTube, is a cheerleader and is a super-attentive mum)! There's so much variety on her channel that there is always a video to suit whatever mood I'm in. She doesn't sugarcoat things either, which I think can be quite rare in someone who shares so much of their life. Watching her videos is like sitting down and catching up with a friend.

Kate Murnane 

Kate comes across so well on camera and makes everything seem so natural. Hers were some of my favourite pregnancy vlogs to watch when I was expecting Baby Ginger. Her vlogs of days spent with her beautiful family (she's recently had another baby) always make me smile. She's such an inspiration with how much she does, and her baby updates and mummy videos are definitely ones to catch if you are a new mum or have younger children. 

Fleur DeForce

Fleur DeForce was one of the very first YouTubers I started watching religiously. And now even Ryan is a bit of a fan. She is just so personable a person to both watch and follow on Twitter ( her engagement is great) and comes across so well in every single one of her videos. There has never been one that I've not wanted to watch (which is rare, even with creators I really like). Currently expecting her first baby she is making pregnancy look so glamorous (Where were all these pretty maternity clothes when I was pregnant, eh?) She's another YouTuber I watch for absolute escapism which she never fails to deliver.

Gabriella

I went through a bit of a stage where Gabriella's videos were some of the ones I would scroll past and not really pay much attention. I think it's because I'm finding the age gap between myself and some of those I watch a bit too big sometimes and I can't relate to things they might be vlogging about. However she's now one of the YouTubers I keep up with the most again (I'm really enjoying her moving vlogs and haul videos). It's quite funny too because whenever one of her videos in on, Eric just smiles and smiles at the screen. It might be the tone of her voice, or maybe her face (she's nearly always is smiling and interacting directly to the camera in her vlogs) but either way it is just so cute to see.

Z is for Zit Zapping

I have never had the best skin. Growing up, I was one of those teenagers who had a huge amount of spots that just seemed to appear on my face as soon as I hit puberty, and never left. 

It wasn't easy at all. Nearly all the girls in my year at school had perfect skin and perfect hair, and there I was with a mess of ginger hair on my head (the teenage years were incredibly frizzy because my hair just couldn't decide if it wanted to be curly or wavy,) and a load of red pimples on my face. 

Although my skin has cleared up a lot since being a teen, it isn't perfect. I am still really prone to breakouts and sometimes I have zits of DOOM that just don't ever seem to go away. Add to that scars from previous spots, and I tend to look really red and feel really self-conscious. 

On one of my frequent trips to the Lush shop in Liverpool, I got talking to one of the shop assistants. I had read a lot about their face masks online, but needed a bit of guidance on what to go for, because my skin is a) combination and b) incredibly sensitive! 

She recommended to me the "Mask of Magnaminty" which is designed for acne-prone skin. She also recommended "Coalface" to try alongside the mask. 

Mask of Magnaminty contains a range of ingredients that help combat breakouts and perk up the skin. I use it about 1-2 times a week, focusing on problem areas on my face. I apply a thickish layer to where I have spots, leave for 5 minutes, then rinse off. It always leaves my skin feeling zingy and smelling minty-fresh!  The mask really helps to reduce inflammation, and push my skin in the right direction to start looking better. It's not harsh on the skin at all, and is a perfect skin-pampering product. 

Coalface is a solid cleanser that foams up when you use it with water and apply it to the face. It is designed for oilier skin, and acts as a cleanser and an exfoliater in one. Because I have combination skin, I only use Coalface once a day (usually at night) as it does dry out the drier patches on my face. Since using the cleanser I have really noticed a difference in the clearness of my skin. I still get spots, but my acne scars have faded, and my skin looks brighter and happier in general, and it always smells fantastic after I use the cleanser!

Using these two products together has really made a difference to my skin. I'll probably always suffer from spots, but having good quality, effective products that I can turn to in times of trouble really makes me feel a lot better about it! 

What's your skincare routine? Are there any other Lush products you have tried? 

Ginger x