clearing up breakouts and preventing problem skin

Life being life, I have all of a sudden developed the skin of a teenager whilst in my twenties. All throughout my teens, I rarely suffered with breakouts and more often than not my skin was pretty decent. Fast forward a few years and I've developed clusters of acne around my chin area. Since a particularly bad breakout a couple of weeks ago, I stepped up my skincare routine and noticed my skin clearing up in lightening speed. It's also super important to mention that good nutrition (limiting dairy and increasing healthy fats) along with an exercise routine and keeping hydrated daily are all absolutely essential in attaining great skin. I'll probably write up a whole post on this aspect too. 

My Clarisonic Aria (£155) is my best friend when it comes to giving my skin a deep and thorough clean. I always notice a huge difference in my skin when using it and now wouldn't ever be without it. I've discovered that using my Clarisonic in combination with Vichy Normaderm (£8.25) is a match made in heaven, the gel froths up into a silky lather that's ideal for the vibrating brush head of the Clarisonic to work with. If there are just two things to consider investing in from this blog post, make it these. Talking of Vichy, if I ever get a particularly pesky spot I dab it with the Normaderm Hyaluspot (£7.87) before bed and in the morning notice it has calmed right down.

I'm a big believer in face masks too, and have found both Lush Cup O' Coffee (£6.75) and Origins Out of Trouble (£23) to be superb on problem skin. I tend to use the Lush coffee scrub on days that my skin is looking a little dull and is in need of revival, and the Origins clay version whenever I'm in the midst of an angry breakout.

If your skin is red and irritated, ditch any exfoliator with beads or grains in and instead try a liquid version. It's alternate between La Roche-Posay Clarifying Lotion (£11) and Pixi Glow Tonic (£10), both of which help to prevent breakouts by ensuring my skin is left squeaky clean and free of dead skin cells.

The last thing I ever feel like doing when my skin is misbehaving is applying a thick layer of heavy feeling moisturiser or oil. Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (£13) is my knight in shining armour and deals well with my skin no matter what state it's in. It's super hydrating yet sinks in instantly so can be worn under foundation too. If you don't want to fuss with foundation though, try out La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant (£16.50) as its ingredients will not only combat blemishes but leave your skin looking radiant and allow it to breathe.

skincare sunday | 03

First off, please excuse the mildly deathly looking cacti, they are in need of some loving. It seems like FOREVER since I last put together a post on my current favourite skincare products, so here we are once again. I still have some staple products that I absolutely adore and have no reason to ever switch from, and also have a few new finds too. 

To remove make up and cleanse my skin, I go for DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (£21.50) for everyday use and Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm (£18) when my skin is in need of a deeper cleanse and nourish. The DHC version is absolutely unbeatable as a make up removal oil and is the perfect option for my typically dry skin, and the Pixi balm is ideal to let soak into the skin for a couple of minutes whilst in a bubble bath.

skincare sunday | (01)

Not much is better than cosying up in a duvet on Sunday afternoon reading through skincare related blog posts, so I've come up with the idea that on a Sunday every now and then, I'm going to update you all with my current favourite skincare products. In reality, the posts probably won't go up all that often because I'm terrible at any form of schedule, but I will give it a shot. 

I've always been on the hunt for a thoroughly moisturising eye cream, and have finally found one in Emma Hardie Amazing Face Eye Cream (£39), that's thick and luxurious enough to do a good job at soothing my dehydrated skin. For any dry skin on the rest of my face, Dr Organic Snail Gel Cream (£19.99) works wonders and has been noticeably perking up my complexion on a daily basis. 

Whenever my skin is in need of a deep clean but I truly can't be bothered to do much about it, I sweep over my face with the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix pads (£12.95). It's beyond belief how much dirt and grime these babies do away with. I've noticed that over time my skin ends up looking much more bright and radiant whenever I use these, the ultimate lazy girl option. 

If pamper time is underway and I'm involved in a bubble bath/hot chocolate type situation then I will without fail slap on a face mask too. My favourite of late has been Origins Out of Trouble (£23), it's a white clay consistency with a minty scent that works at deeply cleansing and awakening the skin. It calms any problem skin down instantly and for that reason is one of the best face masks that I've tried. 

A quick mention to two of my all time favourite products before I sign off. Both are by French pharmacy brands, no surprises there. Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (£13) is the best daily moisturiser for dry skin in the world and I'm convinced that nothing I try will ever beat it. If you are looking to try a new skincare product, make it this. For when I'm generally feeling a bit washed out, Claudalie Beauty Elixir (£10.90) is my saviour and comes to my rescue every time. It has a deeply uplifting scent so not only makes your skin look brighter but lifts your mood too. 

current favourites | bath time treats (01)

It doesn't matter how busy I may be; I always make time for both a midweek and end of the week pamper night. Yeah that's right, I have two pamper nights per week. I wash, cleanse, scrub and polish my whole body from head to toe whilst enjoying a candlelight bubble bath. 

I picked up this Warm Vanilla scented bath cream from Dove at some point last week and have been addicted to it ever since. I'm not typically a huge fan of anything vanilla scented but this is nowhere near being sickly scented and reminds me slightly of brown sugar. I then scrub up using The Breakfast Scrub (I'm sure you've all already tried this by now), until I'm left smelling like a freshly baked cupcake. I tend to then use a gel cleanser, like this one from Aesop, and pair it with the Clarisonic which does all of the hard work for me. I then apply a rather generous amount of Origins Drink Up Intensive Face Mask and proceed to winding down for the evening with a cup of hot chocolate. 

Yankee Candle | Snow in Love | £20

Dove | Purely Pampering Warm Vanilla Cream Bath | £3.49

Soap and Glory | The Breakfast Scrub | £8

Origins | Drink Up Intensive Mask | £23

Aesop | Fabulous Face Cleanser | £21

Clarisonic | Aria | £155

bedtime beauty: current favourites #1

I've seen many a beauty blogger write posts on what's included in their night time skincare routine and as I've really gotten into treating my skin lately I couldn't resist sharing my current favourites with you all.

MANUKA DOCTOR APINOURISH RESTORING NIGHT CREAM - I've been using this religiously pretty much every night now for a couple of weeks and it's become a real favourite of mine. It's a beautifully soft yet rich cream with no greasy residue whatsoever, my skin soaks it straight up and has been loving me for using it. My skin is starting to look much more radiant and feels more hydrated which I'm so pleased about. It has a subtle scent of honey too which I absolutely adore. Review here.

NUXE REVE DE MIEL LIP BALM - If you keep up with my blog regularly then you will already be aware just how much I love this lip balm, I've been putting it through it's paces for almost a year now and love it now more than ever. Review here.

AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES CANDLE - A relaxing candle is an absolute essential for me when it comes to winding down and getting ready for sleep, this one does the job beautifully and fills my whole room with a relaxing scent. It's nowhere near overpowering though and has the perfect balance to create a calming atmosphere.

ORIGINS BRIGHTER BY NATURE PEEL PADS - When my skin is in extra need of some looking after, usually after a long day of wearing make up, these peel pads are the perfect option to unclog my pores and give my skin a deep clean. Using these just before bed usually means that my skin looks more vibrant in the morning too which is great. Review here.

LANCÔME GÉNIFIQUE EYE SERUM - I've only just started using this eye serum so can't say as to how well it works but I've been loving how refreshing and soothing it feels on my eyes. I'm hoping that it will work well to lighter my under eye circles. I will have a review coming up soon. 

THE BODY SHOP HEMP HAND PROTECTOR - Bed time is great for applying hand cream as it means that it can get to work properly for all those hours that you are asleep and doesn't get washed off or rubbed away as it does in the day. I'm a huge fan of this one by The Body Shop as it really gives my hands the moisture that they need. Review here.

CAUDALIE BEAUTY EXLIR - I bought this product from Paris last Summer as I'd heard great things about it and it's ended up becoming a favourite skincare product of mine. It has a beautifully relaxing scent that calms my skin either throughout the day or just before bed. If my skin is ever stressed then it soothes any irritation, it sprays in a fine mist so is fuss free if I'm too tired to apply cream at night but want to look after my skin.

origins brighter by nature peel pads

A new product in my skincare regime are these peel pads, apart from face masks I don't tend to use treatments on my skin so I've been enjoying trying them out. In the Winter time my skin turns very pale and lacks any radiance which is why I'm always on the hunt for a product that will give me a brighter complexion. I usually use brightening face masks or illuminating foundations and whilst these do work well they don't actually improve my skin. I now use one of these peel pads every few days and have noticed a significant difference in my skin tone, it definitely looks brighter and fresher. They are surprisingly powerful for little pads and you can instantly feel them working on your skin, I also find that they clear my skin of dirt and impurities meaning that I have less blemishes to deal with. Overall I would most definitely repurchase a tub of these - they may be slightly pricey at £30 but bearing in mind you only use two a week that means one tub is 5 month's supply!

ORIGINS BRIGHTER BY NATURE BRIGHTENING PEEL PADS - £30