Wednesday 2 April 2014

MY MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE


I am a true believer in the importance of a good skincare routine. I mean, you only get one skin so you might as well look after it. Unless you've ingested some reptile DNA and have turned yourself into a reptilian humanoid monster (a la the Lizard from Spiderman), in which case you probably will have far more serious things to deal with. I am, however, pretty sure that 99.9% of you reading this article won't fall into this ultra-specific category so happy days!

My mum always advised that high quality skincare is vital and should be considered an investment. So, when I was younger I used the 3-step Clinique skincare routine. I have to say, personally, I didn't really think the high price adequately correlated with its results. Almost as soon as I waved goodbye to home comforts and a rather dubious hello to student debt, I must admit, I quickly abandoned this account-draining trio and stuck firmly to the face wipes. I wouldn't recommend this, kids. Nor would I recommend being too lazy to take off your makeup. Often.

Once I'd finished university and started earning, I was adamant that I wanted a multi-faceted skincare routine, but still refused to accept that you needed to pay an absolute fortune for healthy skin. Cue my own personalised, 4-step morning routine. All the products mentioned are available on the highstreet and I think they work just as well as my Clinique trio ever did. Case in point that a flawless complexion isn't reserved for the aristocrats among us.

Oh and a quick note before I start, I have combination skin which is slightly on the dry side. In case you were wondering.


1. Cleanse (part one)
First, I like to use a face wash because I think a splash of water does wonders in waking you up first thing in the morning. Also, it washes away any moisturiser or night cream that you had applied the evening before. My absolute favourite is the Witch Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash. I actually first used this product at my boyfriend's flat because I had forgotten to bring my own (he had the man version which is dark blue, the colour of man, apparently). I felt like I instantly saw results. It cleared up my blemishes and left my skin feeling clean, but not completely stripped of all nutrients and moisture. Needless to say, I made a special effort to pick up my own when I was next in Boots. You can purchase this product, here.



2. Cleanse (part two)
The second step to cleansing for me is using a micellar water. This just helps to make sure you are beginning the day with a completely clean base. It can sometimes pick up makeup that you inadequately removed the night before. I prefer a micellar water to a makeup remover because it is more gentle on the skin. I have tried out both the L'Oreal and Garnier versions of this. Although I feel the L'Oreal has been more raved about by the beauty blogosphere (it has been around for longer, I guess), I actually prefer the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I must state that this is for no other particular reason than you get more and so aren't required to trek to the shops for a repurchase as often. Yes, I'm that lazy. It kind of makes you feel like you're saving money as well, even if you really aren't. You can purchase this product, here.



3. Tone
If there's one part of my skincare routine that I'm not completely sure about, it would be my toner. So, any suggestions here are very welcome! At the moment, I use Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner. As my skin is on the dry side, I don't like to use an industrial-strength, burn-your-face-off type toner. It's a solid product but not one that I would say has significantly improved my skin. I don't know, maybe I'm being a bit harsh. You can purchase this product, here.



4. Moisturise
Another Simple product, but this time I have rave reviews! My moisturiser of choice, which I have used for a few years now, is the Simple Kind To Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser. It is unbelievably effective for skin that's definitely slightly towards the drier side of life. Plus, because it's so rich, you only need to apply a tiny amount. Four budget points for you Simple moisturiser, you GO Simple moisturiser! (Bellatula points for any of you that recognise this terribly delivered film reference). Sometimes, when the weather is warmer (about a week in Britain), I do find that this product leaves my skin slightly too oily, but, for the most part, I absolutely love it. You can purchase this product, here.



I do realise that it takes time out of your day to commit to a full-blown, beauty-guru-esque skincare routine, but you really will see the benefits, I promise. And when have I ever lied to you? Personally, I find the process quite therapeutic, but, then again, I'm a bit of weirdo when it comes to beauty.

4 comments:

  1. Great post and great products! My mum says the exact same thing; her background is cosmetics, so ever since I was young, she made sure that we know the proper way to take care of our skin. I wish I paid more attention when I was younger because as I became a lazy teen, I suffered the consequences. The moment I get lazy with it, I get another huge outbreak.

    My routine in the morning is usually two and sometimes three (or four) depending on the days where I exfoliate and shave. I don't use a toner as I don't feel like it does anything for my skin.

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    1. I wish I'd stuck to a good skincare routine throughout uni actually! Mother's obviously always know best! I'm glad you feel the same about a toner. I feel that either they're too gentle for me to notice any results or they're too strong and leave me with crazily tight skin x

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  2. Great post! Lovely pictures. Very informative! I have just nominated you for the very inspiring blogger award, check out my page for more details :)

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    1. Thank you so much Eesha! Just had a look at the post you've written about this. I'll let you know when I've put up my facts! x

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