Current Skincare

I by no means have perfect skin, or am a skin care expert, I just thought I'd show what has recently been working for me moving int the summer months! For your reference, I have oily skin and am usually sporting some spots around my chin area but I've narrowed that down to a lack of fibre and not drinking enough water and since changing my diet and adding a certain tonic back into my routine, this has improved dramatically! 

Morning

In the morning I simply cleanse/wash my face with the Body Shop's Camomile Cleansing butter which I have raved about lots on this blog already so I won't go into detail. It leaves my face squeaky clean and locks in a boost of moisture. 

I then swipe half a cotton pad of the Pixi Glow Tonic over my face concentrating on my T-Zone but I just swiz it all over really. A few months ago I stopped using this as I saw it as an unnecessary step to my routine, how wrong was I?! My skin seemed so dull, my makeup didn't sit as well and I seemed to get a lot more clogged pores and spots. I quickly reintroduced it and my skin is improving daily. 

I finally moisturise with the Garnier Moisture Matte moisturiser for combination/oily skin which is a gel-like formula which absorbs into the skin very quickly and is a nice matte base for my makeup to sit on. I wouldn't say it completely stops my shine but I have very oily skin and nothing does that except a good setting powder! 

Evening

To remove my makeup I simply use a miceller water, this one is the Boots Botanics 3 in 1 cleansing miceller water but I also love the Garnier one - anyone really!

I then moisturise with the Garnier Moisture and Restore Night Cream, I love this as it isn't thick like normal night creams (it's a gel formula) but it still delivers lots of moisture into my skin to give it a boost overnight. It's lovely and light which is perfect for the summer as noone wants a thick cream settling on your skin in this weather! 

As you can tell, I don't spend ridiculous amounts of money on skin care cause a) I'm a poor student and b) I don't think you need to spend £60 on a serum, there are good products on the high street for affordable prices! I'm happy with this routine for these summer months and as I said, my skin is improving more and more each day :) 

Current Skin Care Routine

Body Shop Silky Cleansing Oil (£10)
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] (£15.50)
Pixi Glow Tonic (£18)
Nivea Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream (£5.35)
Nivea Regenerating Night Cream (£4.07)

I've decided to roll back into blogging with an old school, go-to post... my current skin care routine. It's nothing fancy, a few products I've loved for months and months and a few budget buys which I'm trialing. 

So first up is my Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop, which I use both to double cleanse at night and for my morning cleanse as it's such a brilliant all rounder. It's amazing at melting away any type of makeup whether it be full coverage foundation or waterproof mascara, but it's also lovely and fresh which is perfect for in the mornings. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and like it's had a big boost of moisture, just lovely. It's quite a 'watery' oil so a little goes a long way and I only use one pump of this stuff per cleanse. On my second nightly cleanse and my morning cleanse I really take the time to massage it into my skin for a good 3/4 minutes - any excuse for a little face massage! As you can see from the amount left, it's a firm favourite after repurchasing several times!

After cleansing in the morning I then sweep my face with my Pixi Glow Tonic which is a liquid exfoliant which remove any left over dirt and helps to 'tone, smooth and refine skins texture'. It's good for the price, this has lasted months and months and won't be empty soon! It does exactly what it says on the tin!

To treat my pesky spots and blemishes (which are apparently deciding to make an appearance recently, boooooo) I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] which does a great job at reducing redness and clearing up my spots. Every blogger and their mum has talked about this so I don't think I need to go on!

Finally, my moisturisers. I had run out of my No. 7 creams and as I'm on a bit of a budget I went to Nivea to see if I could find something and I picked up the Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream and the Regenerating Night Cream. 

The day cream is nice, it's a gel/cream formula and sinks into my skin fairly quickly leaving it soft and feeling fresh. I won't lie, I absolutely hate the smell! I can't describe it but it isn't a nice fragrance but apart from that it does the job for a small price! The night cream is okay, it smells like most Nivea products and is a really thick cream so you only need a little for your whole face. It takes a while to sink in (like most night creams) but by the morning it leaves my skin so soft, although a tad greasy (but that's nothing a morning cleanse won't fix!). I have to say after reading reviews online I think this may be breaking me out like it has done for so many other people so I may have to trial and error and I'll keep you updated!

So there we are, I like my routine, it does the job but I definitely will be going back to my No.7 Normal/Combination Day and Night Moisturisers when I have a bit more moola as they work much better for me!

I also use two face masks which are the Superfacialist Tea Flower Clay Mask and the Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask which are both fabulous. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post, I thought I'd ease myself back in gently to the world of blogging as I have recently found myself with lots of time now university is over for the year and extremely inspired by the blogging community! 

Skincare Splurge

Isn't it just sods laws that almost all your skin care will run out at once? I recently found myself running low on cleanser and my facemask and took to the online shops to buy replacements and ended up with a few extras thanks to discounts and free gifts. 

Pixi Glow Tonic //

I have never used a toner. Whenever wanting to exfoliate my skin I've used horribly harsh facial scrubs which left my face feeling stripped and dry. Not a pleasant experience. I've seen Zoe (from Zoella) talk about this liquid exfoliant/tonic water which claims to "tone, smooth and refine skin's texture". She, and Caroline Hirons (skincare goddess) speak highly of it and as my as my routine was missing a toner it was quickly added to my basket. 

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser //

After finishing yet another bottle of the Soap and Glory 'Peaches and Clean' cream cleanser, I felt like a bit of a change so took to the body shop. There's so many to choose from, but as I am using this cleanser in the morning and not to remove makeup, I just wanted something gentle which leaves my skin clean an soft in the morning, and this claims to do so.

The Body Shop Almond Hand and Nail Cream //

This was a free gift as I ordered over a certain amount of goods and as a full size product I'm happy! This will be great to pop in my handbag and smells dreamy.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream //

As a long time contender on my wish list, I finally took the plunge and ordered this little orange beauty. Smells divine and contains Vitamin C and Caffeine to wake me up in the mornings; an essential for 9 o'clock lectures and the day after the night before...

Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask //

Another product influenced by Zoe, but another skincare item that needed to be replaced. I've never tried a heating clay mask before so this was new to me but I love it! It feels great when applied and within minutes it has cooled and is ready to be rinsed off, meaning it gives you a spa like feel but in a fraction of the time. It left my skin feeling so smooth and clear and didn't break me out or cause me to have even oilier skin than usual. A total winner. 

Along with all of these, I also bought The Body Shop Seaweed Purifying Facial Cleanser and Day Cream for my boyfriend. (Do I win extra girlriend/blogger points for sorting out a bit of a skincare routine for him?) 

Everyday Skin Care

Bonjour mes amis!

I was doing my little skin care regime last night and then I all of a sudden knew what this weeks blog post could be! This has pretty much been my staple for the past few months now and I don't have any plans to change it any time soon. 

So, in a morning when showering I use 'Clean and Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash' (£2.99 - but on offer in Boots for £2 at the minute!) on a make up-free face and massage in.

 I like that this wash has teeny-tiny beads in which exfoliate the face without being too harsh to use everyday. The wash foams up and is easily massaged into the face and is quickly rinsed leaving my face feeling squeaky clean and soft too. 

After I get out the shower I go straight in with the 'Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Mattifying Moisturiser' which is targeted for oily skin like mine. 

It retails at £12.99 in Boots, but again is a 1/3 off at the minute so you can pick it up for just £8.66 - I'll definitely be popping into Boots this week to pick one up in advance!

It's what you would expect a normal moisturiser to do and ticks all the boxes for me. It sinks in fast, smells fresh and leaves my skin soft and as a good base for my makeup.

When it comes to taking off my makeup I've been using the 'L'oreal Paris Skin Perfection' range in either:

• The Cleansing and Perfecting Milk (£4.99)
• 3 in 1 Purifying Miceller Solution (£4.99)

And I personally prefer the Solution rather than the Milk as it's lighter on the skin and you don't feel like you're smushing a cream around your face to then have to get a clean cotton pad to wipe it all off. With the Solution you get the same effect, no gunky eyes and use less cotton pads which is a winner for me. Plus then you feel like your moisturiser is actually sinking in and not just sitting on top of cleansing milk mixed with makeup cause that's just gross! 

For moisturising at night time, I use the same moisturiser as in the morning because I know it does a good job and will work while I sleep. But if I were to find an intense moisturiser which is better for using at night then I'd use that - I'm open to suggestions please!

Once a week I use the 'Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask' (£8.99 - but also on offer) which is a clay mask which you just leave on for 15 minutes and then remove with warm water. It's easy as pie! It just a nice way to get 15 minutes peace (or longer) and to chill rather than be rushing around all the time! I then just use the matching moisturiser and my skin feels all pampered and lovely. 

So that's it! All high street products and all reasonably priced and they have lasted me so well especially during freshers week where I was doing my makeup twice a day for daytime and evening and my skin didn't suffer because of these staple products. 

So I hope you enjoy and maybe try out some of my recommendations, please let me know what else you want to see and I'll see you soon.

Toodlepip! x