CURRENT: Skin Care Routine

Recently I've overhauled my skin care routine. It's been a long time coming but finally, I'd realised that my skin wasn't it's 16 year old spotty self any more but instead, a 19 year old dull thing that need attention quickly. I looked mainly at Clarins as I'd heard good things about their Daily Energizer range and when I saw  their sample kit, I had to pick it up. So without further ado, here's my current skin care routine.

Balance Me Extra Care Wonder Eye Cream - £20.00
Yes, I got this with Glamour magazine. Was I expecting much from it? Not really. Did it exceed my expectations? Hell yes! This really is a wonder cream and it works miracles on my puffy eyes in a morning. It's lightweight, refreshing, sinks into the skin lovely and is very natural. The only thing I don't like about this is the price. It's worth it, definitely worth it. But I'm sad, poor student. So I need to stock up on these with Glamour magazine.

Pan Oxyl 10 AquaGel - £3.83
Yes this has been in my skin care routine forever and yes, I doubt it'll ever be replaced. I don't want to go into this product too much as I've done a very in-depth review about the product here and this post lists all my concerns/warnings with the product. But overall, it's a skin saviour and I can't live without it.

Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist - £21.50*
This is perfection in a spray bottle. Citrus is my all time favourite scent so the fact that this smells of citrus is a definite plus. It's great at refreshing the skin in a morning, throughout the day and also at nighttime. It's not very travel friendly as the bottle is glass (very pretty though) but the fact that this product is amazing gets me over that. I don't have oily skin (which this is mainly aimed at) but mine is combination and it does a great job at balancing the skin out and leaving it looking beautiful and soft. This has become my addiction. Also, if you buy this product from Feel Unique you can enter the code 'savemysummer' in the promotional code box at the checkout and you will save 5% off of any product and also be entitled for free delivery! This code is valid until the 23rd of July 2012.
No7 Anti-Dark Spot Facial Sun Protection SPF15 - £12.00

I've done a full review of this product here as I thought that it deserved its own post. But briefly I'll just say that this is incredible. It's more than a sun protection cream, it's a lovely base for make up and a great skin care product that I definitely think is having a positive impact on my scarring/dark spots.

Clarins Daily Energizer Kit - £15.00
I cannot stress how much I love this kit. I'm so glad that I bought it and I will be purchasing the full sized versions of everything in the kit. I'm going to be doing a separate posts on Clarins skin care but briefly I'll mention these products. This kit comes with a Daily Energizers Face Wash, Toner, Moisturiser and the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm which I've done a full post on here. The skin care products work very well together in keeping the skin looking bright, clean and really healthy and since using them I haven't had one breakout and my pores have become noticeably smaller. Like I said, I will be doing a full post on these skin care products so keep an eye out for that very soon! Let's just say this, I think I'm going to be using my Boots Advantage Card Points on these products and if I buy you with my points then you know that you're special!

No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes - £7.00
I wouldn't buy these without the £5 No7 vouchers. It's not that I don't think they're worth £7 it's just that it seems pointless spending £7 on something that you can get for £2. These are in my opinion, the best skin care wipes out there. They're very soft and leave the skin feeling moisturised but not overly oily and not fully stripped. They also remove make up nearly as well as a facial wash and I definitely feel comfortable using one of these instead of a face wash after a night out or when I'm feeling lazy. 

No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream Normal / Oily - £13.50
Someone at work last week bought this night cream and I ended up having a 5 minute conversation with them on how perfect it is. I've mentioned it many times before and I'll continue mentioning it. It does a great job at moisturising the skin and leaving it nice and soft after a nights sleep. The best thing about this is how refreshing and cooling it is. Instead of a cream it's more of a gel so after a hard day of wearing a full face of make up this is wonderful at refreshing the skin. It's been my favourite for a good few months now and I honestly don't think I'll find a night cream as good as this!
What are your favourite skin care products? Have you tried any of the above?
xxx

SKINCARE ROUTINE: Extras

I must first of all apologise for the picture of the face mask. I've also wrote about face mask where there was a picture of a face scrub instead. I just got them mixed up!

Dirty Works Pore-Fect Face Scrub* - £3.32

This is the only face scrub that I use really. I have a lot that I'll sometimes use but this is the one that I always go back to. Mainly because it's very gentle but also has a nice cooling effect on the skin. I'll use this about 2-3 times a week before applying a face mask or face tanning and the best thing about it is that it's really great at making my pores appear smaller and reduced.

Boots Essentials Cleansing Wipes - £1.49

These are my go-to cleansing wipes as they're really soft and remove make up very well for make up wipes. They're very refreshing and don't strip the skin and pretty cheap too. I don't use make up wipes often; only when I'm removing heavy eye make up or when I've come in from a night out and the last thing I want to do is spend time cleansing my skin.

Pan Oxyl 10 Aquagel - £3.83

My saviour! I absolute love this and it's the only spot treatment I'll ever use. This one is more gentle than the acnegel and it's great way to reducing the size of spots. If I have a breakout I'll apply this and within 2 days it will be completely gone. I use this on a breakout just once a day as if you use it more than once your skin can become quite dry. If you'd like to find out more about this then you can read my full review here.

Renouve Anti-Aging Every Day Defense* - £22.00

This may seem like a strange product to include in a skincare routine as it's a hand cream/sanitiser but I will always use this before touching my face to make sure that my hands are clean and free of germs. It's very moisturising and sinks into the skin lovely and leaves them looking glowing, smooth and more healthier.

xxx

*PR Sample

My Skin Saviour - Pan Oxyl

If you read my skin care posts then you'll know how much I rave about the wonder that is Pan Oxyl. I've been using this spot cream for about 2 years now and I don't know what I did before it. It's an over the counter cream so you know that it's very concentrated and it gets straight to the problem. There are different strengths and I recommend starting off quite low and working your way up. This cream isn't for those who get a spot a month.. This is for those who suffer with breakouts and have acne as it's very, very strong. When you first start using it, I can guarantee that your skin will be a dry mess. It's exceptionally drying for about 3 days but after your skin has gotten used to it, it's the most wonderful product out there. You have to use it very sparingly and a little bit goes a long way. One of these tubes will usually last me around 6-9 months and this is because it's strong, you only need a tiny amount and you only need to apply it once a day. When I use this on an active spot, I can guarantee that the spot will be gone within the next 2 days maximum. It's absolutely amazing and I can't do without it. Recently, I was given the Aqua Gel (I normally use the Acnegel) and I do prefer the Aqua Gel because it's not as drying and a little bit more moisturising. The formula is just better in general. Do you use Pan Oxyl? 

xxx

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Five - My Skincare Routine & Favourites (Extras)

I'm sad to say that this will be my last post in my Blemished Skin Series! I've really enjoyed writing this series as blemished skin is a subject that is 'close to my heart.' I hope that you've found it useful in one way or another and do let me know if you have! This is the second part of my Skin Care Routine & Favourites and you can view the first part of it here which includes cleansing, toning and moisturising. This part of the series includes my favourite 'extras.'

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask* To see my full review of this product click here.

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask. I love peel off masks as they're great for refining the pores and this certainly does the job. It sets pretty quickly, smells fresh and loves skin looking refined and clear. It also mops up any excess oil.

Dirty Works Face Mask* This is a clay mask which is great for drawing impurities from the skin. This sets well and is very easy to remove. After use, my skin feels really soft and my pores are less noticeable. 

Proactiv Refining Mask* To see my full review of this product click here.

Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask* To see my full review of this product click here.

St Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish Fighting St Ives scrubs are very famous and if you're confused as to why my packaging is different to that on the website it's because they've been repackaged. I love this scrub as it's great at removing dead skin and leaving skin looking brighter and clearer. But not only that, it also removes excess oil and fights blackheads and blemishes.

Dirty Works Face Scrub* This is quite possibly my all time favourite face scrub. It's very minty which refreshes the skin and really wakes it up. It's also wonderful at refining the pores and removing dead skin gently.

Dr Nick Lowe Spot Gel* I use this during the day time as it's strong but also pretty moisturising and doesn't dry the skin out. Whereas at night time I use the Pan Oxyl 10 Acnegel. As well as the Cor soap, this is my #1 must-have for blemished skin. You can only get Pan Oxyl from behind the counters but it's only around the £4.00 mark. I've mentioned it many times on my blog but it's truly a life saver. Once again, spot size will be reduced within a few hours and normally the spots have gone by the next day. The only problem with this spot treatment is that when you first start using it, it's very drying. My skin was an absolute mess but luckily, I continued using the product and discovered it's magical properties! There are different strengths and I recommend starting off on a low one and working your way up to the perfect strength for you.

xxx

*PR Sample

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Two - Getting Into Routine

Here is part one of my Helping Blemished Skin series. In case you've just stumbled across my blog, here is my introduction post so you can find out more about this series.

A skincare routine is essential for healthy looking skin and without one, it's very rare that your skin will be clear. There are three (sometimes two depending on your preferences) essential steps to a skin care routine with a few extra add ons depending on your skins needs. I'd just like to say now that I'm not a dermatologist and I've never been trained in skin care. What I know is from my own experiences and what I say may not necessarily work for your skin as every skin type is different. When I'm explaining some of these steps, it may seem like I'm talking to you like a child but I thought I might as well go right back to the basics! The products featured in the pictures are my favourite products and I'll be going into more detail about each one of them in the my skin care routine post.

Step 1 - Cleansing

Cleansing the skin is so important for everything, not just people with blemished skin. In the morning it refreshes your skin and removes all the dirt that has crept into your pores overnight and at night, it removes your days make up to prevent your pores from clogging up and causing breakouts. The face washes above are my favourite and when it comes down to telling you about my skin care routine, I'll go into more detail about these items. But as you can see, 2 out of the 5 items are foaming cleansers and these are said to be the best for blemished skin. I don't understand why and I believe that any form of face wash can work. The Cor soap is actually a soap and soaps aren't exactly highly recommended for the skin but this soap is a miracle worker and like a normal soap, it doesn't dry the skin out.

Step 2 - Toning

It's arguable whether or not toning is an important step in your skin care routine. I personally do tone and that's mainly because I like the feel of it. It leaves a tingling sensation on your skin and you removes any excess make up or dirt that your cleanser may have missed. Be careful when choosing a toner though as some contain a lot of alcohol that strips the skin and makes your skin a dry mess.

Step 3 - Moisturising

Possibly the most important step in every skin care routine. Moisturising provides an excellent base for make up and balances the skin out. What I've come to notice with blemished skin is that using a moisturiser aimed at blemished skin isn't necessarily that good as they tend to strip the skin of its natural moisture and once again, leave it a dry mess. If you do have blemished skin, I'd say go for a moisturiser aimed at combination skin as this will prevent your skin from shining whilst retaining its moisture. It'll also not block up the pores and therefore won't allow breakouts. Unless of course you have very oily skin then go for a mattifying moisturiser. My favourite moisturisers also includes a No7 night cream; I believe it's important to have a separate night moisturiser as your skin is completely different whilst sleeping.

Step 4 - Exfoliating

I generally exfoliate two times a week and I do this to remove the dead skin cells from my skin. It's important for people with blemished skin to exfoliate in order to unblock the pores and prevent further breakouts. Another reason I exfoliate is because I do have skin scarring which my blemishes have left.. exfoliating regularly will eventually get rid of these. They do tend to go after a few years but there's no harm in speeding up the process is there?!

Step 5 - Face Masks

I absolutely love using face masks! I use them around 2-3 times a week and depending on how my skin feels depends on the type of face mask I'll use. I either use a peel off face mask, a clay mask or a nourishing mask. A peel off ones is one that applies clear, dries and then you peel it off (the clue is in the name). After this, all the impurities have been drawn out of your skin and you're left with refined pores and clear skin. A clay mask is similar except from it's basically clay that you apply to your face, leave to set and then wash off. It helps to close the pores up and it leaves your skin feeling super soft. And finally, I'll use a nourishing mask whenever I have an active breakout and this is because my breakouts are painful most of the time and these help to nurture the breakout.

Step 6 - Speciality Products

By speciality products I mean spot treatments. These are important in your skin care routine but finding one that works for you is definitely a challenge. Spot treatments are wonderful as they're concentrated and really help to clear up active breakouts. You apply them straight to the spot once or twice a day and the spot is generally reduced within 5 hours and gone within 3 days.

What does your skin care routine consist of?

xxx

November Favourites

L-R Tigi Bed Head Sugar Shock Hair Bodifying Sugar Spray, Boots Essentials Nail Polish Remover, Diego Dalla Palma Make Up Fixer, Diego Dalla Palma Calze Spray (Body Foundation), Boots Extracts Cranberry Body Wash, Britney Spears Cosmic Radiance Perfume.

The Bed Head Sugar Spray is a product that I've been using non-stop whenever I'm going on a night out. It adds volume but doesn't leave a sticky layer on the hair. It's easy to brush out and smells beautiful. The smell takes me back to my childhood - it reminds me of this doll. I absolutely adore the Boots Nail Polish remover.. it's better than some of the more expensive brand that I've tried and it's only around £1. The Make Up Fixer and Body Foundation are the first products I've tried from Diego Dalla Palma and I absolutely love them! The Make Up Fixer keeps my make up in place all day and all night long - it doesn't budge when I've sprayed this. The Body Foundation is like a fake tan with the added bonus of covering up imperfections. I've had a lot of bruises on my legs recently and this covered them all! The Boots Extract Body Wash is the only body wash I've been using this month. It smells absolutely beautiful! I also have the matching body lotion and I wouldn't be with them. And of course, I've been loving Britney's Cosmic Radiance fragrance. It's probably my favourite Britney perfume ever! It can be worn during the day and at nighttime - it's versatile. 

L-R Corn Silk Face Powder Semi-Matt, TRESemme Split Remedy Split Med Intense Recovery Masque, HD Brow Palette.

The Corn Silk Face Powder is the only face powder I've been using recently. A woman in Boots mentioned it to me and she recommended it as well.. So I had to have it. It isn't cakey and it leaves the skin looking healthy and pore-free! Of course, I don't have my hair cut so I have to look after my hair really well and the TRESemme Split Remedy range has done a great job of ensuring that my hair is healthy and vibrant. I love the hair masque - it really detangles my hair and adds shine but without weighing it down. My friend has recently sorted my eyebrows out for me and the HD Brow Palette is my number 1 love at the moment. It's amazing what a difference good eyebrows make. And finally, my Pan Oxyl has helped me out a lot this month as my skin has been a nightmare!

What have you been loving this month?

xxx

HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS: Skincare

Here's the second in my Holiday Essentials series.. I hope you're liking it so far!

If you can't tell by this picture, I'm currently trying out a new skincare routine (which so far, I'm loving). This is Avene's Cleanance range which I will hopefully be writing more about in the coming weeks! On holiday, I'm taking their Gel (cleanser), Lotion (toner), Cleanance lotion (moisturiser) and TriAcneal (night moisturiser).

I'm also taking my trustly Pan Oxyl as this clears up spots pretty much instantly. It's a must have for me and I cannot be without it! I've also moved up a strength so it works even faster. I must stress that if you purchase this treatment, your skin will more than likely be dry after the first few uses. Please do persist though because once that first dryness has gone, it won't return!

Liz Earle's Superskin Concentrate is also coming with me just incase I end up with dry skin. This is really compact and small and perfect for travelling with so I really couldn't say no! I'm also taking my favourite eye cream, Skin Wisdom's Instant Benefits Eye Roll On. This depuffs my eyes and makes them look brighter and fresh. I love it!

What are your skincare must haves? I'm also thinking about taking some wipes but I'm not sure.. I might just buy some out there if I need any!

xxx

(this is the last of the series.. the scheduled post thing messed everything up)!