Skincare Archives | Page 2 of 2

March 5, 2014

Balance Me Radiant Face Oil

I’ve been looking to ramp up my relatively simple skincare routine (read about both my morning and evening routines here), and I, surprise surprise, read about this one on Caroline’s blog. My skin’s been quite dehydrated recently – not to be confused with dry, my skin skill gets oily throughout the day but there are patches on my face that seem like they drink up foundation or anything I put on my skin. As I was reading up more about this product, it seemed that it would a good place to start for my first ever facial oil.

balance Me radiance face oil

The Claims:

Smooth away the years with our highly emollient, 100% natural face oil. Skin lacking in lustre is enhanced with a rich, replenishing blend of naturally active and smoothing ingredients. Don’t be afraid to use if your skin is prone to congestion as oil on oil is extremely balancing, hydrating and comfortable to wear.

The Verdict:

If you have oily skin like me, the idea of putting more oil on your face is daunting and seems quite disgusting. However, this oil is targeted at all skin types, and as I quoted enough, it is supposed to help balance the skin’s natural oils. I have been using this for almost a month now, and I have noticed a huge difference with my skin. I’ve definitely noticed a difference in terms of my dehydration – my foundation seems to stay on longer on my skin, and overall my skin is looking a lot less dull. I had quite a bad hormonal breakout but this oil really helps on clearing the skin.

To apply, you pop a couple of drops from the pipette (love the packaging) and then massage over your skin. It does feel quite greasy when putting on the skin, but there’s something quite luxurious about it. I use this post-hydraluron and pre-moisturiser in my nighttime routine. I don’t use it in the morning like it suggests as I think it would be too heavy under makeup, but if you have extremely dry skin (or I’m not wearing makeup that day) I think it would be perfectly fine to wear in the daytime.

If I (or Caroline) has managed to convince to buy this, I highly recommend that you order it from Debenhams. They have a programme called the Try Something New Guarantee which means they will send a free sample of the oil along with your order so that you can try it out before opening the bottle just in case your skin really doesn’t get along with it. The sample lasted me about a week, which I think is enough time to tell whether your skin is reacting badly to it. It isn’t really an apt length of time to see a huge improvement in your skin, but if you have sensitive skin, this is a great solution so you don’t waste money! balance Me is also a great natural brand if that is one of your beauty concerns.

I couldn’t be more positive about this product, it really is a welcomed addition to my routine. It is a slightly pricey purchase, but its cheaper than some of the other facial oils on the market. As I’ve said before, I really believe investing in skincare is important – if I’m going to break the bank for anything, it has to be for skincare.

–RachelElizabeth

February 7, 2014

Evening Skincare Routine

This post is a continuation from my Morning Skincare Routine. In the past three months or so, I’ve really had to change the products I use in the routine due to my skin becoming drier than it has ever been before as this winter approached. This routine is much smaller than I would hope it to be, but I feel like I’ve got a really good core set of products than I can continually add to.

Step 1: Remove Makeup/Cleanse

As in the morning, I use the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, but instead I use it twice. With a full face of makeup on, I massage it all over the face, across the eyes and lips – inevitably ending up looking like the Joker… I then take the same flannel from the morning and run under warm (not hot) water and remove the makeup and cleanser from my face. I then do a second cleanse, massaging over the skin and removing with the flannel, just like the morning. Ideally, I would have a separate cleanser for this second step, but that is currently work in progress.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Just like the morning, after cleansing I take a liquid exfoliant, and in the past few months I have finally got my hands on the Pixi Glow Tonic (this is quite hard to come buy – I got mine, and a backup or two, from the Pixi Store off Carnaby Street). This unlike my morning exfoliant, is a glycolic acid based exfoliant which helps improves the skins surface and texture. Since using this, I have noticed a significant difference in my skin in turns of blemishes and also ridding of those pesky dry patches.

Step 3: Serum

In the evening, I am much more concerned about hydrating the skin as much as possible, as I don’t need to worry about makeup slipping and sliding off the skin. I use the Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Booster which is a serum containing hyaluronic acid, which ‘can hold up to 1000 times its body weight in water’, meaning that it increases the affect of your moisturiser. This is a great serum for dehydrated or dry skin – I have dehydrated combination skin, and find this really helps hydrate my skin.

Step 4: Moisturise

Night time moisturiser has always been a category that I have struggled to find one that I really love. Many of the richer moisturisers I have tried have broken me out, which I assume is due to the ingredients. I decided to turn to La Roche Posay Toleraine Riche which is a moisturiser targeted at those with sensitive and dry skin. This is a really rich cream that gets rid of any flaky dry patches, without causing any irritation. Because of how much I love this, I am tempted to try the regular (non-‘riche’) version for the summer months when my skin is not as dry.

My skincare routine is currently quite concise, but I am constantly looking to add and improve to it. I feel like I’ve got a good core routine, and my skin has thanked me for it, despite those pesky spots that pop up at that time of the month. I will no doubt post about any new skin care additions…

January 8, 2014

Morning Skincare Routine

Over the past year or so, I have started to really care about skincare. My skin is usually oily, and is quite blemish prone, but this winter (which has never happened before) it has started to become a little more dry around my nose. In the morning, I like to focus more on prepping the skin for makeup – making the face smooth and keeping the oil at bay. However, in the evening I use more hydrating and nourishing products. I think I have finally found a simple core routine that really works for my skin, and all the fancy add ons will come in time…

The Routine

Step 1: Cleanse

I start off my routine by taking the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm on my fingers and massaging it all over my face. I then take a flannel and run in under warm water and remove the cleanser. This cleanser feels very luxurious and nourishing, and was quite daunting for me on first use having oily skin. This product has become one of my staples and has really helped change the appearance of my skin.

Step 2: Tone/Exfoliate

I use the Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant on a cotton pad all over the face after I cleanse as a liquid exfoliator. This contains salicylic acid, which is great for blemish-prone skin. I don’t find this to be too harsh on my skin and I am able to use this on an everyday basis. I find that it really helps to keep the skin smooth and free of any dead skin, and is much more gentle and effective than a manual exfoliant.

Step 3: Serum

The La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo is a product I would highly recommend to anyone who is prone to blemishes. It is a lightweight serum, and since using this consistently, I have noticed a significant reduction in the amount of spots I get and how long they take to disappear. This is a great daytime serum as it won’t disrupt any makeup, and surprisingly for a product aimed at oily skin it is not drying. La Roche Posay are a great affordable skin care brand that can be found in Boots and I would definitely suggest if you are on a budget to check their range out.

Step 4: Moisturise

Moisturiser is a step that I find quite hard to get right, but I’ve been really enjoying using the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel as my morning moisturiser. I use the ‘Gel’ as opposed to the ‘Lotion’ because it is nice and lightweight and a good base for makeup. Unlike many moisturisers aimed at oily skin, I still find that this is quite hydrating, and feels cooling when applied to the skin. I like this moisturiser because it is basic and simple, and doesn’t break me out.

So that concludes my simple morning skin care routine. These particular products I have been using for several months now, and have all been repurchased once or more. The products I use are a little on the expensive side but I personally like to invest in skincare, because a) it helps makeup apply better and b) who doesn’t want gorgeous skin? If you’re looking for amazing skincare tips and you haven’t already, head over to Caroline Hiron’s Blog as she is simply a skincare goddess and genius and I have learnt so much from reading it – the cheat sheets are incredible!

–RachelElizabeth