Skincare Diary #4
My skin has been quite calm and balanced lately, so I haven't really had to go to any extreme measures regarding my skincare regime. If anything it has been a little on the dry side so I've been layering on oils and serums under my moisturiser in the evenings. I've got a big box of samples and minis so I'm trying to make my way through that without using anything potentially risky - as you can see, Aesop and Neal's Yard are my safe bets. On a slightly different note I've been making a really conscious effort to drink more water this month and thanks to my swanky new water bottle (and the genius of fruit infused water) I've been managing 2-4 litres most days. I definitely think this has been beneficial to my skin, as well as making me feel healthier and more energised in general, my skin definitely looks clearer and brighter. Who knew good skincare could come so cheap??
MondayMorning -FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum, Magnitone Lucid Facial Brush, La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I Evening - Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser*, Pixi Glow Skin Tonic, Hydraluron, Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
I've started trialling out these bits from FaceB4 skincare and am loving them so far (full review coming soon), they're aimed at blemish prone skin, but are not at all harsh or drying, and have left my skin looking and feeling really calm. I'm still a big fan of the manual exfoliation - I reviewed this brush here and have been using it every other day in order to see results but avoid aggravating my skin.
Tuesday Morning - FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum Afternoon - Eucerin DermatoClean Micellar Cleansing Fluid, The Body Shop Camomile Silk Cleansing Oil, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + Evening - Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser*, Pixi Glow Skin Tonic, Lush Full of Grace Serum, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
Eucerin's answer to the Bioderma cult recently landed on my desk and I have to say, I'm impressed (again, full review coming soon). Like Bioderma it has serious powers when it comes to removing makeup, and leaves my skin soothed and refreshed. A+ so far. I've reverted back to using The Body Shop's cleansing oil this month as it's lighter than a balm and just feels (and smells!) more summery.
Wednesday Morning - FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum, Magnitone Lucid Facial Brush Afternoon - Eucerin DermatoClean Micellar Cleansing Fluid, The Body Shop Camomile Silk Cleansing Oil, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + Evening - Aesop Parsley Seed Cleanser, Aesop Tea Tree Exfoliant, Aesop Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Mask, Hydraluron, Aesop Fabulous Face Oil, Neal's Yard White Tea Toning Eye Gel, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
A bit of an Aesop overload this evening! I really enjoy using the Tea Tree Exfoliant mixed in with a cleanser as it allows me to choose exactly how exfoliating I want my scrub to be. I really did want something gentle this evening as I've been using the facial brush so this was the perfect choice for a gentle pre-mask exfoliation. I've used and adored Aesop's Fabulous Face Oil before and its safe to say that my skin loves it equally as much as I do. Perfect for dry and dehydrated skin, it's kind of like an intense moisture boost, but without any excessively oily repercussions...
Thursday Morning - FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum, La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I Evening - Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser*, Pixi Glow Skin Tonic, Lush Full of Grace Serum, Neal's Yard White Tea Toning Eye Gel, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
You'll notice that my moisturiser has remained a constant since last month. It's such a good, basic, 'does what it says on the tin' product that I truly can't find fault with. Perfect for providing that final layer of moisture to lock in serums and oils, it doesn't break me out and hasn't caused any unwanted oiliness. A welcome addition to any 'less is more' skincare routine.
Friday Morning - FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum, Magnitone Lucid Facial Brush Afternoon - Eucerin DermatoClean Micellar Cleansing Fluid, The Body Shop Camomile Silk Cleansing Oil, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + Evening - Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser*, Pixi Glow Skin Tonic, Lush Full of Grace Serum, Neal's Yard White Tea Toning Eye Gel, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
For regular readers my evening routine will be looking rather familiar... The Avene cleanser and Pixi toner are as steadfast within my routine these days as my morning coffee, and I can't imagine not using them. Boring I know, but (and this is coming from a skincare obsessive here) when you find something that really works that well you don't even think about purchasing an alternative. You can read my rave reviews of both products here and here - don't for one second think that I could stop myself at a few lines to describe them.
Saturday Morning - FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum Evening - Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser*, Pixi Glow Skin Tonic, Lush Full of Grace Serum, Neal's Yard White Tea Toning Eye Gel, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
I will be very sad when this little sachet of eye gel runs out! For such a tiny packet it's lasted me almost the entire week - and I haven't even been frugal. A lighter alternative to my regular eye cream, I've found this to be incredibly gentle and soothing - parfait because I have uber sensitive eyes.
Sunday Morning - FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam, FaceB4 After Cleansing Serum Evening - Aesop Parsley Seed Cleanser, Aesop Tea Tree Exfoliant, Omorovicza Gold Hydralifting Mask, Hydraluron, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum, Neal's Yard White Tea Toning Eye Gel, Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream
A lot of products today but I'm really only going to talk (read: rave) about one. Applying/using this Omorivicza mask is something akin to how I would imagine it feels to be kissed by angels, on a beach, in paradise, surrounded my roses...you get the picture. Seriously, if anything deserves the accolade 'facial in a tub' then it's this mask. Light, creamy, gentle, and rose-scented, can you see where that imagery came from?? I can safely say that nothing (NOTHING) before has ever made my skin look and feel this good after just one use. I'm glowing. Literally. And there isn't even an angel in sight.
Do let me know which products have been the star's of your skincare regimes of late! To stay updated on future posts you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin.