Skin Routine

Sooo kiddos. I thought I would do you a little post a bout my skin-care routine. I was talking about it on Twitter and wondered if anybody was interested, and a few people were... and here we are.

L-R:

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier

The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash

Decleor Paris Tonifying Lotion

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub

One:

Make sure all your makeup is removed. I use a liquid eye makeup remover, and then a face-cleanser. I like this Shu Uemura one, but I'm probably not going to repurchase. Both this and the Boots Botanic are oil-based cleansers, and as a chick who likes a shit-ton of eyeliner and is a fan of bright, staining lipstick.. these are godsends, literally. Matte red lipstick stains like hell, and this gets it off. If you're feeling lazy and can't be bothered, cheat and use a makeup wipe and THEN use a cleanser like the Body Shop one (i'll get onto that in a second). Generally I don't use both the Shu Uemura and the Body Shop, as this dries my skin out. To remove eye makeup, dampen a cotton pad with your remover, hold on eye makeup for ten-twenty seconds, then sweep off, removing makeup and mascara.

Two:

Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse. This seaweed one from the Body Shop is inexpensive and great quality. Even if you think you've got rid of all your makeup - you probably haven't. It'll be lurking. If you want to use a deep-pore one, those are great, you can kind of tell when they're working well as you feel really clean and your skin is nice and smooth, but not dried out. This will get rid of any traces of dirt or oil, and everyday yuck like that. If you remove your makeup properly and cleanse every single day, you're much less likely to get spots or blemishes.

Three:

Exfoliation. Some people say this isn't necessary, but I think it's important to do it every so often. If you have sensitive skin, do it twice a week, or something. I find it just helps remove any dead or dry skin, and keeps my skin feeling fresh and smooth. My skin always looks brighter and healthier, and more glowy. Don't use a scrub that's too harsh, or you're scratch and hurt your skin. I've just upgraded from a veryyyyyy gentle one (with barely any exfoliator in it) to this Neutrogena, and I feel like it's on the border of being a bit too harsh, but I'll see how it goes.

Four:

Tonerr. This step definitely isn't completely necessary. Some think they're awesome, others claim that some are too harsh and can remove your nail-varnish (ahem, Clinique..). A good toner tightens your pores and gets rid of anything left on your skin. If you feel like your cleanser does this, leave it out. Genuinely, I have had this bottle for ages now, and only bust it out when my skin is in real need of rescue, but I do recommend Decleor for face-essentials. They're a pricey brand but they're a good name with good products, in my opinion. This is a very nice, gentle product that doesn't hurt or sting, and has a really lovely, fresh smell. Investigate and try out your toners, if possible, and read many opinions before settling on one for yourself. If it stings or feels too harsh, stop using it. To apply, just sweep all over your face with a cotton ball (these seem to work better than with pads, I'm not really sure why).

Five:

Moisture. I haven't included a picture, because I need to buy a new one, but my ultimate favourite is Clinique's Dramtically Different Moisturising Gel (such a mouthful). They do two, a lotion and a gel, the gel is infiniteeely better, imho. It sinks into your skin immediately, leaving wonderful, soft, soft, soft skin. This makes sure any moisture you've removed from your skin by cleansing and exfoliating and scrubbing is put back in, ensuring you don't get dry skin! Simple.

Was this helpful? Do you have any questions..? What is your skin routine..? Let me know! (:

Summer Essentials, Part II, Makeup!

This is the sequel to my Summer Essentials post, and in this I talk mostly about makeup/cosmetic products that are useful! I feel like this is much more my field. There are some great posts and videos out there about the joys of suncream, but I am much much much more of a makeup girl! This is bad, I know, haha. Enjoy!


Tinted Moisturiser.. Sort Of
As you can see, I don't really own a tinted moisturiser. I don't really get the point. Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel is the best thing since sliced bread - all I do is squirt a little bit on the back of my (sanitised) hand, mix with a bit of foundation and it's a blessing. You don't really want to be wearing a full face of heavy foundation when it's thirty degrees outside.


Waterproof Mascara
I hate waterproof mascara with a passion, as it dries out my lashes something shocking, but if you know for a fact you're going to be in and out of the water or near a pool or the sea, you're probably going to want to invest in this stuff. Just use it sparingly.


Bronzer
Since you'll definitely be using SPF (won't you?!), you'll want to make sure your face is nice and tanned. This is my favourite bronzer, because it's lovely and shimmery and a nice goldish-bronze colour. I love ones like this MAC Loose Mineralize powder with a nice wide sifter, so I can use a big 'ole brush and sweep it all over and down onto my chest and neck area too.


Bright Lipstick or Lipgloss
No-one wants to wear a lot of makeup in the summer, and that is that. There's sweating involved and your pores get clogged, and if you're on the beach you don't want to be worrying about smudged eyeliner or mascara.. right? Right. One of my favourite tricks when I'm reaaally lazy is to just throw on some concealer and a little bit of mascara, and then add a really bright lipstick such as Illamasqua's Mistress Lipgloss, shown here, and you're set.


Primer
Generally, I'm not really a big fan of primer. Some people swear by it. I got this one recently and I'm pretty much loving it. It's a weird formula - a mousse, but primer's generally help keep your makeup from sliding all over the place and staying put all day. However, I do sometimes feel like they can clog your pores and make your skin feel really heavy, so apply with a light hand, and because this one has a beige-ish colour to it, all I really need to do after apply is add a little bit of concealer and I'm pretty much good to go.


Blot Powder
I generally don't see many products as a "must-have". This is not one of those products. I love this product and recommend it to anyone who asks me about it. It is a summer-night-out staple, honest to God. Sweep this over your forehead, nose and cheeks, and you will be shine-free all evening. MAC do a Blot Powder, but my favourite one is the Urban Decay one. Firstly, look at that packaging, it's just awesome. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, and I'll be honest, Urban Decay don't always pull it out the bag, they're a little hit and miss, in my opinion. This is a hit, hit, hit. Another thing is the colour: MAC's Blot Powders have a touch of colour to them, which may or may not be your thing. I always felt I looked a little cakey in it. This is a transluscent blot-powder. In the pan it looks white, with a hinttt of purple or blue to it, but when you put it on, it disappears into your skin.
I'll stop now with my mini-review.. haha.


Hand Sanitizer
This is sort of a summer essential, and really just an all the time essential, but I feel I use it most in the summer, where you might be eating outside or going into cities an sightseeing, or using public transport.. Hand sanitiser is just plain sanitary, and useful, and that's about it really.

Did you like this little departure from everyday blogging? What are your summer essentials..? I love all feedback!