I'm going to share some details about my skin type first, just to give you a bit of background. I have combination skin, which is oily on my forehead, on my nose, on my pores and on my chin, while the rest of my face is dry in the winter and normal in the summer. I get a lot drier in the winter, sometimes even getting dry around my pore and chin areas, too. In the summer I am super oily, especially when it's hot outside. My skin is also very problematic all year round; I have been plagued with blackheads and red angry spots for around nine years now, and sometimes skincare can make it go away temporarily but I always break out again, so I just slap on a bit of full coverage foundation and hope for the best.
MORNING
I don't like to use a lot of products in the morning, purely because I'm putting my makeup on afterwards and I don't want my face to feel too heavy, but the first thing I do in the morning after my shower is wash my face with a face soap. The one I've been loving at the moment is the Soap & Glory Face Soap and Clarity face wash (£8.00) but they have actually repackaged and changed the superfruit in it from plum to yuzu but I got the new one for Christmas and they look and smell exactly the same! The link above is for the new one.
On Saturdays, I like to use a face mask after I've washed my face. I'll follow the instructions on the packet and read for a bit while it's on, and then wash it off to reveal smooth, hydrated, clean feeling skin. The one pictured is the Manuka Honey Hydrating and Moisturising Face Mask (£3.99). The one put in the link is the cheapest I could find it online in case you want to try it out!
And obviously, I have to moisturise afterwards. I use a moisturiser in a tube in the mornings because it sinks into my skin quicker and doesn't make me all oily. My favourite moisturiser at the moment is a Soap & Glory one that I got for Christmas, it's called the Speed Plump All-Day Super Moisture Marvel (£13) and it's my new obsession! It makes my skin feel so soft afterwards and smells like chocolate orange. I use this stuff religiously!
EVENING
In the evening, the first thing I do is take off my makeup. I take off my eye and lip makeup with a makeup wipe since I find that cleansers tend to sting my eye or even blind me, and makeup wipes are a lot more eye-safe, despite them being bad for your actual skin. The Waitrose ones (79p) are my personal favourites but honestly I just use whatever I can find.
Next, I take off the rest of my makeup using a cotton pad and the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water (£4.99) which you will know if you read my November Favourites, is one of my favourite products for removing my makeup.
Every couple of days, I'll exfoliate my face to get rid of all the dead skin on my face. I love doing this because it gives me a beautifully smooth canvas to put my makeup on top of the next day. I really like the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub (£3.79) as it has ingredients in it that help get rid of comedones (blackheads) at the same time, which trust me, I need all the help with I can get.
Here comes possibly the most important part of anybody's skincare routine. Whether you're 12 or 112, male or female, you need to be using a toner every night! Toner helps to give you some extra moisture, which if you have dry skin is an absolute lifesaver. It helps to refresh your face too, which is great for in the summer too. But it's primary purpose is to reset the pH balance in your skin. The pH of your skin should be slightly acidic at 5.5, but all kinds of environmental factors can unbalance the levels such as using face wipes, or eating too many acid/alkali based foods. But toner sorts all of that out and prevents you from premature wrinkling, spots, and other horrible things. My favourite is the Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist (£2.99).
Once the skin is toned and fresh, I like to smother my skin in the Superdrug Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream (£2.99). This moisturiser is exactly what it says on the pot...intense. A little bit goes a loooooong way and it really gets under your skin and moisturises from within, leaving you with a beautiful, deep-moisturised face. I highly, highly recommend this product, especially if you have dry skin! It'll change your life.
My favourite part of my skincare routine is applying a facial oil. I LOVE The Body Shop's Drops of Youth Concentrate (£26). It is incredibly pricey but for a good reason! It does miracles to my skin, I swear to you. I wake up in the morning and my skin feels so unbelievably soft and then I look in the mirror and I'm glowing. My skin looks so radiant and beautiful and I cannot explain exactly how amazing this product is, but it is. I'm not lying or exaggerating when I say you need this in your life!
I've tried lots of eye products in the past because I'm very wrinkly around my eye area despite only being eighteen years old, and when I received The Body Shop's Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate (£20) for Christmas I was so excited. It's basically the same as the face concentrate, only for your eyes and it's incredible. I'm starting to see a difference already! I'd definitely recommend it.
Elvis was complaining that Meg and Bonbon had already been featured on my blog and he hadn't, so he sneaked into a picture! Last but not least I apply a hand cream, as usually the washing up and having a shower has dried out my hands by this time of night. My ultimate favourite hand cream is the Soap & Glory Hand Food (£5.50). Take good care of your hands!!!! Your hands are the most important part of your body and show the first signs of aging, so if you want to keep them nice for as long as possible, look after them :)
.....Aaaand that concludes today's blog post! Sorry it was so long!
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I'll speak to you all again on Sunday!
Lots of love,
- Kat x
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