Morning: Clinique Liquid Facial Soap, Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam, Liz Earle Skin Boost Tonic, Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner, Clinique Clarifying Lotion #2, Estée Lauder Idealist Serum, Origins GinZing Eye Cream, Clinique Moisture Surge.
Evening: MAC Cleanse Off Oil, Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, Sanctuary Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser, Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser, No7 Melting Gel Cleanser, Botanics Organic Cleansing Balm, Clarisonic Classic, Bioderma Crealin H20, Simple Eye Make Up Remover, Liz Earle Skin Boost Tonic, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Origins GinZing Eye Cream, No7 Beautiful Skin Dry/Very Dry Night Cream, Boots Viatmin E Facial Oil, Sanctuary Therapist Secret Facial Oil, Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate.
I uploaded a video of my entire skincare routine last week, but thought I'd do a blog post along with it too! I can't seem to get enough of skincare these days and probably own more cleansers than make up products put together. My routine changes quite frequently but these are all the products I've been loving recently.
In the morning I don't always feel like using a lot on my face, so Clinique's Liquid Facial Soap is my go to as its quick, light and easy to use. It might be a little too drying if you don't have quite oily skin like me but it leaves it squeaky clean. If I'm having a particularly spotty day I'll use their Anti-Blemish Foam instead which, although I wouldn't reccomend using for more than two days in a row as it can again be quite drying again, really does clear away any angry blemishes.
After those I'll the Liz Earle Skin Boosting Tonic which is the most refreshing, heavenly smelling toner I've ever used. I've recently discovered Sanctuary's Pore Refining one though, which is brilliant equivalent if you don't want to pay as much. It smells very similar and does pretty much the same thing, although I have found it to be a little more tightening which is great as I do have a few large pores around my nose and chin. Occasionally I'll use the Clinique Clarifying Lotion which is an exfoliant as well to get rid of any dry skin patches.
I've been trying to look after my skin for the future a little more recently (its never too early!) so I invested in a few serums from Estée Lauder. In the morning I'll use their Idealist pore refiner which has a gorgeous silky texture, almost like primer, which smooths over any little pores and fine lines and makes a great base for make up. I'll then pop on some Origins Ginzing eye cream which brightens and gets rid of any puffiness and is the only one I've use for years, then finally Cliniqe's Moisture Surge, an amazing moisturiser for oily skin as its oil free but still hydrates so much!
In the evening I start by using a few pumps of MAC Cleanse Off Oil which I'll massage all over to melt away any excess make up. When it comes to cleansers, I'm a bit of a hoarder (if you've read this post, you'll know!) and have quite a few that I go between depending on how I feel. I mainly like to use hot cloth ones as I think they're great at taking everything off and moisturing at the same time. We all know and love the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish and if you've not yet tried it, I seriously reccomend doing so as it really is worth all the hype! A few cheaper but similar alternatives that I use from time to time are these two from Sanctuary and Soap & Glory.
If I want a cleanser that's really luxurious, I'll use something oil based. The Botanics Cleansing Balm has a very hard waxy consistency in the pot but when massaged all over the face it turns into a silky oil which melts away every scrap of makeup and is then polished away with a cloth. This smells beautiful and completely rids the skin of impurities but what I love about it most is how refreshing it is, despite being such a moisturising cleanser. I've been trying out the new No7 Melting Gel Cleanser as well which is very similar but not quite as rich. If I still don't feel my skin is clean enough I'll sometimes use my Clarisonic with the same Clinique cleansers from the morning. I know these are a little pricey but nothing will ever make your skin feel so clean!
I'll still have a little bit of eye make up left over after all that cleansing but that's taken away in one sweep with the Bioderma Crealine H20 (see full review here) which although hard to find is incredibly good at removing make up without scrubbing away. The Simple Eye Make Up Remover is a great alternative though if you're looking for something a little cheaper and easier to find!
I'll then use the second of my Estée Lauder Serums, this time the Advanced Night Repair which I really couldn't be without. Some people might think something like this is only for anti-aging but as the name suggests this acually repairs your skin overnight. I find that if I have any break outs or dullness it really sorts those out and leaves my skin practically glowing! As far as night creams go I'm yet to find anything that amazes me. Although I have oily skin it still gets dry in places and can feel tight when I wake up so I like somehting thats really rich. I've been using the No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream which does the job, but if anyone has any recommendations of love to hear them!
Last of all, my absolute Holy Grail products are facial oils. I'll use a drop or two with my moisturiser at night to give it an extra boost. My favourites are the Boots Vitamin E Oil, Sanctuary Therapists Secret Oil and Liz Earle's Superskin Concentrate. Ever since I started using these on my skin about a year ago it's never looked so fresh and radiant and I can't reccomend trying them enough!