Mornings are a bit of a rush in my house and sacrifices need to be made if I’m going to have time to top up my caffeine levels and spend some time with the baby before she’s shipped off to my mums for a few hours. Therefore my morning skincare routine currently consists of the bare minimum; basically just a good cleanse and a layer of moisturiser. It’s in the evening where the real magic happens. That’s when I break out all kinds of lovely masks, oils and serums from my favourite skincare brands such as Kiehl’s, Antipodes and Caudalie…
The Double Cleanse
The first step in my evening routine is actually my favourite. There is something so satisfying watching all the grime and makeup of the day melt away. I’m a bit of a skincare addict so have a lovely bunch of products to chose from, all which have been thoroughly tested and that I know work well together. It took a while to master the art of double cleansing but I think I’ve finally got it down, however, my pregnancy hormones do love to keep me on my toes.
I tend to alternate between oil-based cleansers and balms and butters. My two favourite oil cleansers are the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil and the Caudalie Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil. Both are incredibly effective at removing makeup, even stubborn mascara and neither add any additional grease or residue to the surface of my skin. Two of my favourite cleansing balms are the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop and the Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm.
My second cleanse ensures a deeper clean. Sometimes I can get away with skipping this step but it’s really effective on days when I’ve been a wearing a full coverage foundation to clean out all those pores. Two products that work for my skin are the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel and Caudalie Foam Cleanser. Both of which help to keep my shiny blemish-prone spots clear and calm without stripping my whole face of moisture and leaving it feeling tight and uncomfortable. The joys of combination skin, eh?
Tone & Exfoliate
I don’t have a huge selection of toners in my collection but my skin does seem to benefit from the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution from The Ordinary. It’s pretty strong so I just use a quick swipe on a cotton wool pad across my T-Zone. It’s a toning exfoliator similar to the Pixi Glow Tonic but a lot more affordable. A product my skin adores is the Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator. This gentle but effective exfoliator smells heavenly and is a dream to use. I have a tendency to use way too much as I love how soft and bouncy my skin feels after each application.
Masks
I have a couple of masks in my arsenal that I like to whip out depending on the condition of my skin, as I mentioned, pregnancy has made it a little temperamental. For days when I’m seriously breaking out, I recommend: the GlamGlow Supermud Cleansing Mask or the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clay Mask. Nothing will suck the life out of a nasty spot faster than these two. If you have combination skin I would try and limit these to just your T-Zone and multi-mask with something a little gentler to restore balance. Right now, if everything is calm and behaving the way it should be, I reach for the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Treatment Mask.
Moisturise and everything else…
Last week I finished my trusty Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, so recently I’ve been relying solely on the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base. I then follow this step with a few dots of the Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Eye Cream and the Clarins Double Serum I won recently in a Twitter giveaway. Finally, and it’s the last step that really makes a difference to the overall texture and radiance of my skin, I use either the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate or the Caudalie Vine [Activ] Overnight Detox Oil. If you had to invest in just one product from the mountain above I’d recommend one of these. Since introducing them into my skincare routine they’ve changed the game completely. I no longer wake up dreading to see what nasty surprises will appear in the mirror. These two miracle workers get to work whilst your sleep, gently repairing any damage and creating a youthful canvas that will make your more stream-lined morning skincare routine and makeup application less stressful.
Obviously, I don’t follow this routine religiously every night; I’m only human and there’s only so much time in the day, however, I do actually enjoy taking the time to complete each step. I find the whole process cathartic. If it does begin to feel like another chore before bedtime I recommend sticking to a deep cleanse, moisturiser and some kind of overnight product that does all the work for you.
I’d love to know what your holy grail skincare products are? What’s your favourite step in your skincare routine?
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