SKINCARE DIARY XV
My skincare regimen has changed drastically in the six+ months since I last wrote one of the entries - mainly in that I’m no longer flitting between products, swapping new additions in and out as and when they land on my desk. I reformed once I realised that my sensitive skin needed stability and regularity in order to find its own balance.
MONDAY
AM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream, Glossier Priming Moisturiser, Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion.
PM: Garnier Micellar Water, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser, MZ Skin Lift & Lustre Serum, Fresh Black Tea Firming Corset Cream, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate, Malin + Goetz Sulfur Paste.
I like to keep my morning routine short, sweet, and simple, so I bring out the big guns at night. I use Garnier’s Micellar water [not pictured] to remove my makeup - it even gets the waterproof stuff off my eyes without tugging my skin. I’ll follow that with a heavy duty cleansing balm or oil - right now it’s Omorovicza’s. I like to give myself a bit of a massage for a minute before removing thoroughly with a hot flannel. I’m a bit picky about serums, I try to avoid reading marketing jargon and instead look to the ingredients list instead. This MZ Skin one contains all of my favourites [hyalruonic, azealic, and lactic] so is brilliant for fading pigmentation and brightening a dull complexion - my top priorities at this time of year. I follow with plenty of moisturiser - I’m never stingy - which I use down my neck and chest, too, and if I’m being good, I’ll apply eye cream. Actually, eye SERUM. Creams tend to cause puffiness but a serum is nice and light but still super hydrating.
TUESDAY
AM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream, Glossier Priming Moisturiser, Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion.
PM: Garnier Micellar Water, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser, MZ Skin Cleanse & Clarify AHA Cleanser, Eve Lom Rescue Mask, Alpha-H Beauty Sleep Power Peel, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate, Malin + Goetz Sulfur Paste.
Following a week of food-related skin sins - too much sugar and caffeine - my skin has been suffering with some hard-to-budge breakouts. Eve Lom’s Rescue Mask is always the first mask I reach for when these kind of blemishes surface. It takes down inflammation like nothing else. For a quick weeknight facial I really like to use this MZ cleanser before I mask. It’s actually a double-duty mask and cleanser so it offers a quick exfoliation without being too time-consuming or over-irritating. I use the Alpha-H treatment once or twice a week; it’s the best thing I’ve found for fading blemish marks but is too strong to use more often.
WEDNESDAY
AM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream, Glossier Priming Moisturiser, Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion.
PM: Garnier Micellar Water, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser, Clarins Skin Beauty Repair Concentrate, MZ Skin Lift & Lustre Serum, Fresh Black Tea Firming Corset Cream, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate, Malin + Goetz Sulfur Paste.
If my skin is super dry or a little irritated [which it can be the night after a peel] then I use this Clarins serum. It’s a really lightweight oil which combats any irritation and intensely moisturises my skin overnight. The first time I tried the Alpha-H treatment I used it for a week straight and it left my skin red raw and literally peeling, but this cleared it up in one use so I always use it as a failsafe to prevent any unsightly reactions. I’ve also been using my favourite blemish-busting duo religiously this week; Mario Badescu’s Buffering Lotion, which is light, clear, and quick-drying enough to wear under makeup in the AM, and Malin + Goetz’s Sulfur Paste, which is the polar opposite - a thick white paste that makes me look like a Jackson Pollock artwork, by night.
THURSDAY
AM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream, Glossier Priming Moisturiser, Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion.
PM: Garnier Micellar Water, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser, Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, NIOD Flavanone Mud, Caudalie Instant Detox Mask, MZ Skin Lift & Lustre Serum, Fresh Black Tea Firming Corset Cream, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate, Malin + Goetz Sulfur Paste.
In a final effort to get my skin back to its healthy, clear self I took the time to do the full works tonight. After my usual cleansing duo I used this Murad cleanser, which combines physical and chemical exfoliants but is actually super gentle and non-irritating. Probably the best exfoliating cleanser I could recommend for sensitive skin. Then two of my favourite masks, one for a deep detox-style cleanse, and the other for a brightening boost [I’ve never used anything that gives glow quite like the Caudalie one].
FRIDAY
AM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream, Glossier Priming Moisturiser.
PM: Garnier Micellar Water, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser, Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask.
As you can tell by my condensed evening skincare routine, I went out dancing tonight! I can count on one hands the times I’ve forgotten to remove my makeup after a night out - drunk Grace is pretty efficient. However, once my skin is clean I tend to get a bit restless so I always leave out this Origins mask to use in place of a serum and moisturiser. It’s my failsafe for preventing that dull, grey, puffy hangover complexion that threatens to kick in on Saturday mornings.
SATURDAY
AM: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack, Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask.
PM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, MZ Skin Lift & Lustre Serum, Fresh Black Tea Firming Corset Cream, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate.
When waking with zero intention of leaving the house I like to give my skin a little TLC. This Glossier mask is the best for making me feel like I’ve reset my skin to square one - its detoxing without being drying or stripping. I’m absolutely obsessed with this Fresh mask at the moment. With a dense, whipped velvet texture, it’s like no hydrating mask I’ve ever used before. Most are just souped up moisturiser, but this tingles upon application and leaves skin feeling clean and refreshed as well as hydrated. I swear that the texture and condition of my skin has totally transformed since it because a regular in my routine.
SUNDAY
AM: Sisley Gentle Cleansing Gel, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream, Glossier Priming Moisturiser.
PM: Garnier Micellar Water, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser, MZ Skin Cleanse & Clarify AHA Cleanser, Starskin Silkmud Pink French Clay Purifying Liftaway Mud Face Sheet Mask, MZ Skin Lift & Lustre Serum, Fresh Black Tea Firming Corset Cream, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate.
As any beauty addict knows, Sundays are for facials. I have a stash of sheet masks that I’m trying to work through at the moment. Most tend to be aimed at brightening and hydrating skin, but this Starskin one is soaked in a detoxifying serum - the last hurrah in a week of vigorous pore-cleansing. Thankfully, not in vain - I’ll use the Alpha-H treatment a couple of times next week to prevent scarring and [fingers crossed] all evidence of excessive caffeine/sugar consumption will be a thing of the past.
