Skincare Routine

I know you all know the poem- “Patience is virtue, virtue is a grace and Grace is a little girl who didn't wash her face.” Well, for the longest time I was Grace,the little girl who didn't wash her face. Before I hear all your disgust ,I did, of course wash my face in the shower every morning or night but I just washed it with water and occasionally face wash if it was kicking around, but I didn't ever have a skin care routine. I was lucky enough to be blessed with naturally good skin (all in the genes -you should see my mum) and I was under the impression that, if it ain't broke don’t fix it!

I’d gone for years without doing anything to my face and had always been happy with it so didn't see a need to spend money on skin care I didn't think I needed.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you all that I am a convert to all skin care and I think you need to try every cleanser, toner and moisturiser under the sun and make sure you keep up face masks once a week, but I do think a little investment in your face is the way to go. As I said my products are not necessarily the most expensive or fancy ones on the market, I'm really just starting out and dipping my toe in the pond of skin care so wanted stuff I felt comfortable with and wouldn't break the bank.

Cleanser

I was convinced I had dry skin year round until I reached about 20 and realised during the hotter months I do tend to get oily, especially around my T-zone . So, I am now content to say I have combination skin. I can’t stand the awful feeling when you get face wash in your eye and the unbearable sting that goes on for what seems like hours. So, when I set out on my skincare quest I wanted a cleanser I could wack all over my face and eyes, that would hydrate my skin, remove make up and most importantly not sting! I know not asking for much aye!

I had heard great things about the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, but at the time wasn't sure where to purchase it so went for a root around in my local Superdrug and stumbled upon the Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser. 

On first application I knew it was a winner, the thick creamy consistency penetrated make up and grim and left my skin feeling clean but not dry. I used it to remove all traces of mascara and when that hideous stinging was nowhere to be found I was sold.

Like I say it’s a basic and if you do have specific skin care needs I would give it a miss but if you just want to cleanse your skin in the morning and night and keep your skin feeling plumped and refreshed I would most definitely give this a try. I only occasionally use the hot cloth that comes with it to buff it off, mainly as I'm lazy and always in a rush so just wash it off with water but if you’re in the mood for a pamper that feels great.

( Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser - £4.99)

Toner

In the past I always thought this was a nonsense step. I honestly believed it was created by beauty companies to make a nifty three step programme to look after your skin and didn't really understand it. Now I actually use  a toner I think different!

I have used a variety throughout my trials on the skincare ladder but at the moment I use the Caudlie Beauty Elixir. I know contrary to all I have said about not breaking the bank, but I do feel the little bottle last a long time and I only ever use one spritz daily.

I apply it after cleansing and not only does it feel like a real pick me up on the grey British mornings but I think it tightens my pores and makes it ready for moisturiser. 

I am still on the hunt for a budget friendly version so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know, so I can give them a whirl.

(Caudalie Beauty Elixir- £9.95)

Moisturise

The land of moisturisers has taken a huge 180 for me. I've gone from one, to a whopping three in the past 12 months… I know calm me down now!

I was just using the, Nivea all over body and face moisturise daily and I do still love the stuff and think it’s a great basic staple to have around, however, I have found far better ones now that prevent my make up from sliding.

Aveno radiance serum

This was a bit of a whim purchase, but I am now on my second bottle so you can tell I'm a fan. I use it during the winter and colder weather and I really find it make my skin glow a little more and helps prevent my make up from clinging to flakey patches. This little bottle lasted me nearly six months so defiantly worth the money and for a hydrating and radiance boosting serum it does not leave you,         a) looking like a disco ball or b) too greased up to apply make up for about an hour after application.

(Aveeno positively radiant triple boost serum - £14.99)

Seaweed mattifying day cream

I have mentioned this in my previous summer saviourspost but I couldn't leave it out as it really is my summer moisturiser of choice. It totally mattifyies my face without taking away any natural glow or dimension and creates a great base for products to apply on top of. I would say if you have very dry skin avoid this but for me its perfect when my oily skin starts to rear its ugly head.

( Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day cream - £10.00)

Face masks

Now again this was one that I thought only really made sense at girls nights in or sleep overs, where packet masks and hundreds of selfies was almost a right of passage.

It wasn't until about a year of watching YouTube Videos and seeing how passionate girls were about masks and how overnight they saw results, I thought I would give it a whirl.

I currently have two that I am loving, one for those days/nights where you want to give your skin a boost and wake up feeling plumped and rejuvenated. The other for those hideous breakout days where you want to hideaway but realistically have to face the world even with a spot the size of planet earth on your face (least that’s what it feels like).

Moisture mask

Again, this was a whim purchase.  I think it was during an elusive Boots 3 for 2 where I had a mad 5 minutes of trying to make sure my third product was of equal value so I was really getting my money’s worth… (stinge I know, but those students loans don’t stretch far enough!) I grabbed this thinking it may be good for the summer when I have had a little too much sun and need to give my skin a drink. It was one of my better decisions, I love this! Its thick texture feels amazing and really sinks into the skin and I can honestly say I have a wow moment when I look in the mirror, especially when I apply make up and it applies seamlessly!

The tube in my opinion means much better value for money as you can use as little, or as much as you want on desired areas of your face and still have lots left. As I said I thought it would be best for holidays and it will definitely be the first thing packed in my make up bag for my holiday this year.

( Eau Thermale Avene Soothing moisture mask- £11.50)

 Spot treatment mask 

Not having really suffered from horrendous acne or even serious break outs as a teenager I  always hate it when I have, as everyone does, a pesky breakout and its met with remarks like “oh what you moaning about” or “ God your so dramatic!”

After years of this getting on my nerves I thought I'd do something, so I headed to one of my favourite low cost beauty stores, Bodycare and had a browse. This whole tube was only 99p and even me with my limited skin care knowledge knew tea tree was good for spots so I thought what was the worse it could do. I am converted!

Similar to before, it’s very thick in texture and easy to apply so doesn't slide around your face. It doesn't really harden but definitely changes colour after 10 minutes so you can gauge when best to wash it off. I noticed visible reduction in the redness of my breakouts when used repeatedly that week I was amazed.

I would say like any product with tea tree in it, it will dry out the area so be careful where you apply it but if you use it directly on areas  you need it you will be fine.  As Bodycare don’t have an on-line shop I cant directly link but I would say if you have a store near, go and have a nose but if not any similar product I'm sure will do the same.