After being inspired by Red Magazines Skincare Diaries (which I posted images of here) I thought I would do my own diary - a lot more interesting than just posting a current skincare post!
How would you describe your skin type? Confused! - Well it would be classed as combination as I seem to have abit of everything. I mainly focus on trying to balance out my oily T-zone as it causes frequent spots on my chin and blocked pores on my nose. Though I do tend to get dry patches on the sides on my face and redness around my mouth.
What results do you look for from beauty products? To basically be affective and get the job done but never to leave the skin feeling too hydrated or too dry. I like a cleanser to remove all makeup in a single use and a spot treatment to actually reduce the size and appearance of the spot! I'm also obsessed with sun protection in summer, though finding high factor products that are suitable for oily skin can be difficult and pricey!
Daily skincare routine...
I start every day by washing my face with either Naked Skin Rose Softening Face Wash (£4.49) on the Botanics Facial Brush (£5.50 Boots) or SebaMed cleansing bar (£1.99) if my skin is feeling oily. I then either apply Nivea Oil-free moisturising fluid (£4.07) on the areas that are looking dry (which is normally the sides of my face and the tip of my nose) or I use a tiny amount of Yes To Tomatoes Facial Hydrating Cream (sample size) if them areas are feeling really dry which is normally in winter.
I have also recently started to apply Origins GinZing Eye cream (£20.00) to my under eye area before applying any makeup as I've started to spot afew fine lines.
At night, cleansing is a big deal to me so I like to remove all my eye makeup with Botanics Eye Makeup Remover (£3.05) first and then I use a cream cleanser with either the Botanics Face Brush or a Liz Earle muslin cloth (£3.55). The Botanics Face Brush has really transformed my routine as it's soft enough to use daily and means I no longer need to use an exfoliating scrub that used to make my skin quite red.
I like to rotate a number of cleanser that I've found to be quite gentle on my skin - the main two I use during the week are Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish (£21.95 for 200ml) and No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser (£9.00 for 200ml). Then at the weekend after wearing slightly more makeup I use Snowberry Instant Deep Cleanser (£23.00 for 15ml) as this really cleanses the face perfectly and seems to get deep down into the pores or I quickly use the Botanics Organic Cleansing Balm (£6.63) when I'm being lazy after a long week!
If I do have any spots I apply Garnier Pure A Night Intensive Treatment Gel (£4.49) as it contains 2% Salicylic Acid which definitely helps to stop the spot in it's tracks!
Other than that I try and leave my skin to breath so I just use a cleanser and skip moisturizing and using a toner as I just don't feel my skin needs it.
At-home treatments
I do love my face masks and try to do at least two a week if I can. Yes to Tomatoes Total Treatment Facial Mask (£12.35 for 50ml) has to be my favourite as it really does help balance out my oily T-zone and gives a more matte finish to my skin that lasts around 2-3 days. Liz Earle's Deep Cleansing mask (£12.75 for a 75ml kit with sponges) on the other hand helps when I'm suffering from spots and hormonal oily skin.
I also love to spend 5 minutes once a week massaging in the Snowberry Instant Deep Cleanser with damp fingertips (so it moves around more freely) as it really does get into all the pores and helps my skin from getting congested and leaves it feeling so soft and perfectly clean.
I also love to spend 5 minutes once a week massaging in the Snowberry Instant Deep Cleanser with damp fingertips (so it moves around more freely) as it really does get into all the pores and helps my skin from getting congested and leaves it feeling so soft and perfectly clean.
Salon treatments
I'm definitely not high maintenance but I do book myself monthly eyelash and eyebrow tints as both my lashes and eyebrows are very blonde and 'mouse' like! I also sometimes have my eyebrows waxed while I'm there as I suddenly notice how over grown they look when re-tinted!
I would love to treat myself to a facial every few months but I just see it as too indulgent.
My Own Verdict...
As I sadly don't have a professional on hand to give there expert over view I will have to just give my own thoughts on my skincare routine!
I think I am finally getting to know what my skin likes and doesn't like and will stop using anything that feels too hydrating even after one use. I have also in the last year discovered the importance of thoroughly cleansing which I think has really improved my skin.
I also feel removing SLS from my routine was a really good choice due to how red my skin looked from using harsher scrubs and facial washes.
Overall I have finally stopped purchasing the wrong products for my skin and definitely feel more educated.
I do still need to invest more in good sun protection for oily skin that I can apply through-out the day especially in summer with products such as Clarin's and Peter Thomas Roth's Mineral Powder with SPF 30 for Oily Skin (£19.50).
This really isn't a tag but would love if anyone else wants to answer the same questions on there own blog!
