Changing My Skincare Routine from Budget to Luxury

For the past year or so I have been dabbling in more high-end luxury skincare... and I annoyingly like it. No surprise there, then! 

It's simple, select the correct higher-end skincare products for your skin type and they will be effective and often for the long term. That's really what changed my mind, why spend £5 on a face mask that will give you mediocre short-term results that you end up using 3 times a week over a £20 mask that is highly effective and only needs to be used once a week. I guess it's about being more skincare savvy I've come to realise!

Age, albeit annoyingly also comes into it. My 28-year-old skin isn't once what it was... yes, I'm less prone to blemishes, which I'm more than pleased about, but the texture of my skin has changed and so has pigmentation in areas, along with more stretched pores that I often examine under a x10 magnifying mirror - something I don't recommend doing!

This is the time, as I'm nearing my 30's that I need my skin care to work harder. Gone are the days I try 10 budget face masks in a year in hope to find a miracle cure for my unsightly pores. It's now about spending wisely on effective products that I do my research on - next on my add-to-my-skincare-stash list is NIOD Flavanone Mud face mask (£29.00/50ml HERE). I've read endless reviews about the face mask and it sounds like a serious game changer for oily skin types. 

However, there's no denying that drugstore/high street skincare has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and so lots of low-cost products will still feature in my routine.

What's staying: 

• Cheap facial wipes 
• Budget cream cleansers
• Budget lip balms 
• Medium priced french skincare - La Roche Posay, Avene, Vichy, Bioderma

Yes, to all the french pharmacy skin care! I love that Boots now stock all the main french brands and when it's on offer it often the same price as skincare from the likes of Soap & Glory and L'Oreal. So I will always babble in new skincare from the above French brands. As for cleansing, I have seen no proof that higher priced face wipes or even fragrance-free cream cleanser do a better job. So I will be sticking to my trusty Boots Essentials Moisturising Wipes and Yes To Facial Wipes to quickly remove makeup before properly cleanser (and for lazy days, obvs). As for cream cleanser, I will always opt for No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser or a similar equivalent which used along with a flannel thoroughly removes all traces of makeup.

What I will be spending on:

• Face masks/specific targeted treatments 
• Moisturiser 
• Re-purchasing my absolute favourite Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser
• Chemical exfoliators

New Favourite Luxury Skincare

When I say luxury skincare I'm talking science-driven/highly established brands, not overly fragranced designer skincare (YSL, Chanel etc). Yes, the latter is downright pretty but I kind of feel, okay know, you are paying for the brand/packaging and not for the ingredient a lot of the time. The more high-end skincare brands that my skin has absolutely loved are Kiehl's, Pai, NIOD, Sunday Riley, Pixi and from time to time Clarins and Origins. All of which provide amazing options for all skin types I've come to realise. 

My main favourites skincare brands have to be NIOD and Sunday Riley. The science behind NIOD's skincare does go over my head most of the time, which granted makes me want to learn more about individual ingredients, but with a bit of internet searching you can often work out the best products for my skin type. They really are the most long term effective skincare products I've ever come across! If you have congested or blackhead prone skin then I can't recommend NIOD Sanskrit Saponins enough - miracle results from first use (mini review here)! Sunday Riley on the other hand I feel is about rebalancing the skin, correcting any complaints in an effective yet more gentle long term way. Which is why I can't get enough of the Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser, using it daily to really tone down oil production in my skin, which I believe is why I'm now not prone to blemishes. Definitely a brand I want to try more of this year - recommendations are appreciated! 

I feel I've mentioned a lot of brands here, but for me now is actually the time to establish a strong capsule skincare collection that works effectively for my skin type. 

I'd be interested to know your opinions on ditching cheap impulse skincare buys in place of a more conscious and I guess mindful approach to skincare - let me know! 

Fee xo.