Skincare Routine

Happy first week of 2014 everyone! So, at long last my dad has tried out some DIY! haha... definitely a good start to the new year for him! He put up a little cabinet on the wall in my bathroom so that I could save some space in my wardrobe and keep some of my skin-care bits in there. After seeing it all arranged together, I noticed that I had some how developed a little routine for my skin, rather than just using things here and there. This has really helped to regulate, and settle my skin down as it doesn't seem to have as much "drama" as it used to beforehand. 

At first, I wasn't sure whether I was quite "qualified" to write reviews about beauty products, but then I remembered how useful I find reading them. Thoughts and opinions about any products, written by normal people who use them can often be the most helpful so I've decided to write a short review about some of my new/old discoveries in the world of skincare!

Before I begin, a quick over-view of what my skin is like might be useful as what works for one person, might not work for another. During my teenage years I suffered with quite bad skin, it wasn't extreme, it was just usual teenage acne prone and more oily. I didn't really use a lot of skin products on it during this time as I used cream from the doctors instead! Anyway, all's well that ends well, as my skin has improved so much over the past few years to the point where now, I'd say I'm really happy with it. Having a skin consultation is definitely up there in my "to-do's" of 2014 as I've never seen a professional about what "skin type" I fall into. However, I'd say that my skin fits in the "combination" category because it's usually slightly oily around the T-zone, can develop the odd dry patch and gets dehydrated around my forehead. I do have the odd spot or break out now and then, but usually everything is pretty mild with as I said at the beginning... much less drama! So, I think it's definitely worth sharing some of the products I use to keep my skin as normal and healthy as possible :)

Ok, so this is my little shelf of goodies that I use every morning/evening (not all at once!). A few of them have been around for a while now, and others are recent editions... there are some other products which I really like to use but for the most-part, these are my favourites :) 

The first step I do, is cleansing. Now, I'll admit that I am a bit naughty... I do use make up wipes which are said to be a "no-go" by just about everybody! But, they're quick and easy (and better for sleepovers haha) so I just use ones from simple. Then, I use Liz Earle's Cleanse& Polish cleanser with a muslin cloth. This is one of the oldest products of the bunch, as I've been using this for about 6 months now so I've been through various tubes! Anyway, it wasn't love-at-first-sight (use) with this, as when I first used it I did end up with quite a few more spots than normal... usually this might put me off something, but I'd heard so many good things about it that I continued to use it. Well, I'm really glad that I did because now, I don't know where I'd be without it! My skin feels so fresh and clean when I use it... I think the clue is in the name here as it really does feel "polished"!

Step 2... would be to exfoliate. Now, I don't actually do this every day because my skin is naturally quite red, so I find if I exfoliate too much, this doesn't help. However, twice a week, I use Liz Earle's gentle face exfoliater which is seriously, so good! The little tiny beads in it (microbeads?) mean that it doesn't feel scratchy at all... it's a really thick consistency so it's easy just to buff all over your face without it going all slimy and horrible! So yep... another winner!

For the next step, I use a toner (quite old-fashioned, I know haha) which up until recently, was the Liz Earle skin tonic (part of the 3-step-set from their range) which is lovely to use, it really does soothe redness, so if you've just cleansed all your face and you're looking a bit flushed, before you leave the bathroom if you use this, you'll be back to normal asap haha...

Then, Matthew bought me a beautiful clarins set for Christmas which I'd been lusting after for a while... and inside was their toning lotion. I've only used this a for the past week or so, in the mornings, but it's been so nice! It feels really cooling, and just all the best-bits of a toner really! My mum had a sneaky try of this one too, and she went out the next day to buy one for herself... so I'm guessing Mummy Mcleod is a fan too! haha

Another extra that I got for Christmas from my mum, was the Origins Make A Difference Plus + rejuvenating treatment lotion which I've been using in the evenings since Christmas after cleansing... and I've really enjoyed it so far! I can't say I've seen a massive difference yet (as the name might of suggested) but I can feel it tingling when I use it and it makes my skin feel super soft :) 

At night, before I apply my moisturizer, I have been using the hydraluron serum from boots. This is quite expensive, but in my opinion it is so worth it. My skin isn't dry, so some people might advise to steer away from a moisture-boost product, but this one really doesn't make my skin feel oily, it just stops it from feeling dehydrated (tightness or little bumpy bits). It acts as almost a sandwich filler between your skin and your moisturizer... so it's like a cement to help everything stay in place properly.

Now for step 4, to moisturize. This is the step where I have the most to choose from, as I seem to have accumulated a good few of these haha. The one I've used for the longest, is again Liz Earle's skin repair moisturizer. This feels beautiful to put on, mine is the normal/combination one but they do sell ones from dry or oily skin... however, it doesn't smell amazing, it smells really "healthy". Despite this, it works really well and makes my skin feel really hydrated and soft, so the smell doesn't put me off at all! In the morning, I usually use the Oirgins GinZing moisturizer and eye cream and... OH MY GOODNESS, they're amazing! The smell of the moisturizer is absolutely beautiful (oranges) and perfect for morning energy... and the eye cream (doesn't smell great) is really nice to stop puffy/tired eyes.

If my skin is feeling particularly spotty, I always use the effaclar duo from la roche posay. This is my second tube of the stuff as it's brilliant. I did struggle at first with it as it seemed to rub off in little bits... until my friend told me "Laura... you're using too much!" which definitely solved this haha. You don't need a lot at all and it really does help make spots disappear asap! I use this morning and evening.

Finally for this section, is the Origins make a difference plus + moisturizer, which might just be my new favourite!? It leaves my skin feeling SO SOFT! And... big advantage... it doesn't feel like I have moisturizer on when I touch my face as it seems to sink in really quickly... so I've been loving this too!

So, that's about it for my regular skin care routine... but if my skin is needing a boost... I'd use one of the two face masks I have on my shelf... either the Liz Earle Brightening treatment mask (which is clay based) or the Oirgins drink up intensive overnight mask (which doesn't really count as a face mask as you don't wash it off... but it's great). My favourite of them, is the Liz Earle one as it really makes your skin look healthy and clear, which has been really nice for Winter!

Phew... that was a lot of writing!! For once... this definitely wasn't a picture-heavy post haha. Anyway, I apologize that these aren't in-depth reviews for each single product, but rather an overview of how they work as part of a group. I hope this was of use to you, and that you might have found something you'd like to give a try! :)