Monday, 3 February 2014

SKINCARE | Updated Routine (with before/after photos)





The top image on the left is my skin last year with no make up on and the bottom image on the left is my skin last year make up. The top image on the right shows my skin how it is now with no make up on, the bottom image on the right shows my skin how it is now with make up on.


The main reason I started blogging was because of my bad skin. It's no secret that I've been cursed with what can only be described as "nightmare skin." Since those awful teenage years, my skin and I have been at a constant battle with each other. I've tried literally hundreds of products, mixed and matched, splashed out money on "must-haves" and shed many tears. However more recently, my skin has cleared up. And I do believe it's because of my current skin care routine. The images above is what my skin currently looks like - to you, it may not seem like much but when you think about how my skin has looked in the past it's a beautiful miracle.

Oh I could talk about this all day long. Whenever people ask to be recommended a pre-cleanser, I always recommend this one. It's completely changed my skin care routine. Not only is it great value for money (£10.99 for 200ml and it's almost always on offer) but it does an exceptionally good job at dissolving and removing every single trace of make up. It smells like oranges and leaves my skin clean, clear, refreshed and glowing.

I bought this on a whim when I was going through a rough patch with my skin. I'd used Clearasil as a teen but steered clear when it bleached my eyebrow. However, I was at my wit's end and needed to clear my skin up quickly before Freshers Week. This was on offer and I'd read a few reviews saying it was decent. The reviews were right; it's fabulous. It's a creamy face wash that I spread all over my skin and leave for a few minutes while brushing my teeth. Once I've removed it with a hot flannel, my skin is left feeling beautifully soft and not dry at all. It helps to keep my spots at bay and ensures that any nasty marks that have been left behind are removed asap.

I've owned this treatment since the end of 2012 and despite using it daily, I'm only just starting to run out of it. You need the tiniest amount all over the skin and you're instantly given a boost of hydration. I think it's similar to Hydraluron (but much prettier) and feels like jelly to apply to the skin. It's quite expensive - the most expensive thing in this routine - but like I said, it's lasted me absolutely ages and ensures that foundation doesn't cling to any dry patches.

I've chopped and changed my daily moisturisers more times than I've been to McDonalds. But this one seems to have stuck with me. I do mix it up every now and then but most of the time, I reach for this one. Massaging it into the skin feels like silk and instantly the skin is blurred and almost perfected. It's also very lightweight so perfect for everyday use yet extremely hydrating and nourishing. I have combination skin so I tend to get dry patches but this (and the Oasis Treatment) sorts those areas out like a dream. Oh and the cream itself is pink and the packaging is bright pink, a girl's dream!

Epiduo & Yasmin - prescription only
My two prescription saviours. After years of begging the doctors to help me, they finally prescribed me some wonderful things. Epiduo is a gel-cream that I apply after Bio-Oil at night. It never made my skin dry (although I know a few have experienced irritation around the eyes) and it never made me break out further. It's been an absolute godsend and something that I use without fail. The contraceptive pill is controversial but when you think about the millions of women on it, it can't be that bad, ey? For me, it's worked well in terms of my skin. Apparently this is the pill to go on if you're wanting to sort your skin out and considering I can't take tablets (seriously, I still struggle with this tiny pill now and won't take any other form of tablet) this is one that I refuse to miss.

Bio-Oil* - £14.99
As a young adult, I dismissed Bio-Oil. I believed it made my skin worse when I was younger however that could've been my hormones or my lack of cleansing routine. 6 years later, I've gone back to this stuff and it's sorted my skin tone out spectacularly. It's working hard on my deep, old scars and I am seeing minor improvement in them. But before using Epiduo, I had a massive breakout on my forehead (something I never experienced before) and it left behind many red scars/marks. Since using Bio-Oil, those scars have all disappeared and now, my forehead is completely blemish free. As far as skin tone goes, it's perfect. I use this as a nightly moisturiser; a couple of layers is enough and it hydrates my skin and leaves it glowing the next morning.

Now I'm 21 and quite frankly, getting old, I decided it was about time I used an eye cream. This one is fragrance-free and formulated with Vitamins A, E and B5 which all work together to improve the skin's structure and its hydration levels. I use this morning and night and after a few minutes, my eyes are de-puffed and hydrated. It's nice and affordable and does exactly what I want it to.

Link me to your skincare posts!
*PR Sample
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