Top Skin Care Products: My Updated Skincare Routine

Skin care is something that everyone uses and it's something that really is different for everyone, I was having a really bad time with my skin this time last year until I asked my Mum for some help. My Mum recommended an incredible bar of soap which completely changed my skin and I really haven't looked back since, it's taken me quite a while to venture onto using new things for my skin and I've come across some incredible things recently which I've added to my skincare routine and I really wanted to share them with you because I'm so happy with how these items have transformed and are still transforming my skin...

 

- The Best Primer - The Porefessional by Benefit - I personally think that using a primer before make up application is an essential part of skin care, well it is for me anyway. I was told by a make up artist that a primer preps your skin for make up application, ensuring that the make up glides on easier and looks more flawless but also, primers provide a barrier between the skin and the make up, almost protecting your skin from the harmful ingredients found in some make up. I wear primer to make my skin tone more even and to make my make up stay on longer, I never reapply my make up anymore. I have used some incredible primers in my time but one of the best and the one that I keep running out of because I use it so much is The Porefessional by Benefit. Firstly I love how it feels on my skin, it almost has a gel like texture and as soon as you've applied it, it completely blurs imperfections and makes the skin look immediately good, even without foundation. 

- The Best Skin Brightener - Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - I absolutely love Clarins Beauty Flash Balm and if my skin is feeling really de-hydrated, I use this instead of a primer as I feel like it works even better on dry skin. This is just a travel version and it's nearly run out so I need to buy a big version as soon as possible! Clarins describe this as 'the ultimate pick-me-up' for tired, stressed skin - I always have tired and stressed skin because I never get any proper sleep but this boosts the skin, brightens, tightens and makes you look more radiant, I feel like it just instantly makes me look fresh - it's perfect if you're on a long haul flight or a train. Clinique themselves recommend this to help prep the skin for make up application so you can definitely use this as a three in one moisturiser, skin brightener and primer. 

- The Best Night Oil/Serum - Vitamin E Over Night Serum-In-Oil by The Body Shop - I am a huge fan of The Body Shop and always have been but recently they've really stepped up their game, bringing us incredible, natural, good-for-your-skin products which are actually affordable. I was blown away when I saw that this serum retails at only £12.00, every other serum that I've used has been at least £25! I have sworn by my Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Oil for as long as I can remember (full review here) but after that ran out, it was time to try something new and The Body Shop are yet to let me down. The Body Shop say that this is a 'combines the power of a serum and oil to indulge, replenish and recharge skin with moisture overnight'. I feel like this does exactly what Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Oil does but without the hefty price tag. This promises to pump your skin with 8 hours worth of beauty sleep (I was sold when I read this because I really do not get enough sleep), my skin does feel recharged, replenished and softer and it looks fresher and more radiant pretty much instantly. This is quite a thick serum and you only need the tiniest bit to cover your whole face so this will really last forever. My skin drinks this up and I just love it. After seeing how good this is I think I am ready to buy the whole Vitamin E Skin Kit and try it out now, I don't mind using The Body Shop's skin products because I know that they're natural and good for the skin so they aren't going to make me break out. I'm always looking for skincare products which don't give me spots and The Body Shop is perfect for this. 

- The Best Skin Care Foundation - Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream -  As I've really been trying to take care of my skin lately, I thought it was about time that I started using a foundation that was good for my skin too - why use good skincare and then ruin it by using a harmful foundation? I've always been a massive fan of Vichy's Demablend foundation (review here) but like a true beauty blogger, I like to mix up what I use on a monthly basis and this month I've fallen in love with Bourjois' 123 Perfect CC cream. We've all heard about BB Creams, I wrote a guide to the best BB creams last year and I feel like CC creams are now my new loves. This gives the coverage of foundation (light-medium buildable coverage) yet you can really feel that it lets the skin breathe whilst hydrating it and correcting it. It's full of goodness and it's a high street product so it wont break the bank either, I am loving wearing this on good skin days and feel like it's going to be the ideal Summer product.

- The Best Instant Hydrator - Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer - This featured on my February Favourites post as it really is a new favourite product of mine. I've always really been into facial spritzers, particularly when they're miniature and portable like this one. I previously had a Caudalie one which I loved but this one is my new favourite simply because of the size, it's perfect for my travels and I can easily just throw it in any bag. This smells delicious and it's a non-drying toner which refreshers, soothes and brightens your skin, again, very natural, it's alcohol-free, gentle to the skin and adds moisture (which I always need as my skin is lacking hydration, or was until I discovered this). It's rammed full of natural ingredients including aloe vera, chamomile, cucumber and vitamin E. This is one of the first Liz Earle products that I've used and I am absolutely loving it. Thank you Liz Earle!

- The Best Facial Cleanser - Cidal Soap - I feel like I write about this on a daily basis and please don't hold me to it as everyones skin is different but for me, this has saved my skin, it truly has. My Mum recommended this to me after suffering from acne for years and the only thing that made her skin better, even better than antibiotics could do, was this soap. This soap costs around £1.99 for 2 bars in Boots and local supermarkets. I really didn't believe that this would work and I always thought that using a soap would really badly dry out my skin, I personally haven't found that this gives me that horrible dry feeling that soap gives me whatsoever, I just make sure that I always moisturise. This is an anti-bacterial soap and I guess that's why it got rid of all my spots, yep, I found a product that actually stops you from getting spots, or it stops me from breaking out anyway. I don't ever want to stop using this now as I'm scared I'll break out again. My Mum has always taught me that the key to skincare is simplicity, use products which are kind to the skin, gentle and simple, when I over powered my skin with too much perfume and nasty ingredients, I really did break out. You can read a full review of Cidal soap here.

- Face Wipes That Are Actually Good - Simple Kind To Skin Radiance Brightening Wipes - When I read that Cara Delevingne uses these I knew that I had to get my hands on them. I've always really liked Simple as a brand and I like them even more now I've started using their products again. I know that people say you should never use face wipes because they strip the oils from your skin, however, I tend to just use make up wipes to quickly remove my eye make up. These wipes promise happy, radiant skin and even though I'm not a fan of face wipes in general, these really do deliver. They're full of good ingredients (again! I am obsessed with using kind to skin products at the moment), they also have added moisturisers in them, which hydrates the skin too - something which I need. These are perfect for the girl on the go and I always have these in my handbag. 

- The Best Facial Tanner - Simple Sun-Kissed Moisture Cream - I love having a tanned face, I feel like it shines through my make up and it just makes me look healthier and more glowing, the main issue with my skin is that my face is very pale, because of this, I like to put a facial tanner on so that when I remove my make up, I don't look dead, it also means that when I'm having a good skin day I don't need to wear any make up at all. I usually use Xen-Tan's facial tanners and I absolutely love them but now that I've run out of my trusty Xen-Tan, it was time to try something different. I was excited to move onto Simple simply because it's good for the skin and I don't want putting a facial tanner on to make me break out and clog my pores, this doesn't give the same colour as Xen-Tan, it's a lot more subtle and i'd say you need to apply it twice to get a bright,glowing colour. It does really illuminate my skin though and make it feel really moisturised without clogging up my skin.

- Beauty Sleep Moisturiser - Night and Flight Moisture Miracle by Soap and Glory - I absolutely adore Soap and Glory, I was lucky enough to be sent some of their skincare range to try out and I don't think I'll ever look back. This is described as an over night sensation and to be honest, I was sold when it promised to make me look like I've had my beauty sleep as I just never get enough sleep. This really does make my skin feel so moisturised, I love the texture of the moisturiser, it's thick but juicy if that's possible. My skin really hasn't felt dry whatsoever since using this and it is designed to make you wake up (or land if you're flying) with dewy, luminous skin (I can't wait to try it on my long haul flight to Vietnam this Easter) - it's formulated to work intensively over night and on long haul flights, but I've been using this both morning and night because I love it so much. I have seen such a difference in the 
radiance of my skin, it really doesn't seem dehydrated anymore - plus like all Soap and Glory products, this smells oh-so addictive. It's also once again, rammed full of good-for-skin items including: a naturally active, milk thistle-derived complex that replenishes, strengthens, firms and repairs, night blooming cactus flower, for dewier, more luminous skin, peach and goji berry extracts which are rich in antioxidants, vitamins A & C and rose hip and sweet almond oils. I do feel like I may turn into a plant now after using all of this goodness on my skin. This is only £13.00 too so I feel the price point is really good for such a good moisturiser.

- Puffy Eye Attack - HydraGel Turbo-Boost by Soap and Glory - I've really upped my game when it comes to using an under eye moisturiser recently, I've only actually recently started using under-eye moisturisers but hopefully I've started early enough to repair any damage. I really do need something to attack my under eyes because as mentioned, I just don't get enough sleep. I really saw this working it's magic this week when I had no sleep at all one day because the builders next door woke me up after about 2 hours sleep, my under eyes looked absolutely horrific, they looked like huge puffy pillows (I nearly cried) but the day after lathering my eyes with this, my eyes looked like I'd had a perfect nights sleep (and I really hadn't). I feel like I've proven to myself that this works and it really has saved my under eyes.

- The Best Waterproof Make Up Remover - SmashBox, It's A Wrap WaterProof Make Up Remover - Last but certainly not least, I had to include this because I'm writing a summary of what I've been using recently and I have been using this for months to get rid of pesky eye make up, it literally glides off, me and my flat mate love this so much that we've each re-bought it a couple of times, it is expensive (around £15.00) but it truly is a really good product. I love SmashBox at the moment plus if you buy SmashBox products when they're on offer at Boots you can usually get some quite good deals and free Boots points.

Phew, so there we have it: my updated skin care routine! I hope you liked this post, I really wanted to share my new skin care routine with you and talk you through what I've been doing as it's really working for me and quite a few people have commented on my skin recently so I thought I should probably write it down! I'd love to know what you use on your skin and what you've found works for you. Has anyone found anything that really does get rid of break outs? Has anyone used any of the products above? What does your skincare routine look like? Tell me in the comments below please!

Lots of love, Em x

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