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 | (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. 

french pharmacy skincare favourites

This month I jetted off to France twice (yes, twice!) and wrote all about it on my lifestyle blog. It would be criminal of me to have not stocked up on French skincare while out there so I made sure to make the best of it by searching on google maps for the largest pharmacie around and proceeded to walk a mile to get there. All in the name of skincare of course. I picked up two bottles of Vichy Normaderm face wash, one for me and one for a friend who I will be making sure is as converted to it as I am. I opted for the Sébium version of Bioderma rather than the regular Sensibio which I usually go for as my mum has oily skin and I picked this up for her, I hear that it's working really well on her skin. Embryloisse is my ultimate holy grail, can't possibly live without, skincare product that I will use for the rest of my life. I'm not exaggerating, this stuff is insanely good. I suffer with dry skin which looks dull and results in cakey looking foundation but whenever I use Embryolisse as both a night and day cream my skin looks dewy and five years younger. It's quite hard to track down, even in France, but if you aren't fussed about having it at a low price then you can get hold of it online in the UK for around double the cost which is still well worth it. I also got myself some Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot as I had a breakout whilst away and it somehow magically cleared away a rather large spot overnight, if you struggle with blemishes I'd strongly advise you to give this one a go. 

If you're interested in trying out some French pharmacy brands then check out Escentual as they currently have 1/3 off brands throughout October, plus they have the best range of products that you can find online. 

embryolisse lait-creme concentre

Say hello to my favourite moisturiser in the whole world. I bought myself a few a couple of tubes back in Paris a few years ago after hearing Lisa Eldridge was a big fan and have been using it religiously ever since. I have dry/dehydrated skin so a good moisturiser is an absolute must, both in the morning and at evening, but I also can't stand my skin to be left feeling greasy with product. I find that a small amount of this goes a long way get it absolutely never feels thick of heavy on the skin, it just sinks straight in and instantly you are left with a radiant and healthy looking complexion. It never interferes with my foundation either and acts as the perfect base, it also has a mild milky scent which makes it feel even more soothing. I was also once staying overnight at a hotel and stupidly forgot to bring any make up remover which is when I remembered this doubles up as a cleanser too, it worked remarkably at that too and whisked away my make up with ease. Whilst it's ideal to take with you on overnight stays to use as both a cleanser, moisturiser and as a masque if you apply more product than usual I wouldn't recommend using it to remove make-up on a regular basis as it feels like a waste to just get washed off. After using this daily for a few weeks my skin looks much healthier and as if I have actually been drinking as much water as I should be doing, it's a miracle worker in a tube and I defy anyone with dehydrated skin to not become a huge fan too.

I managed to get a pack of two for just £14 in Paris two years ago, but sadly it's far more expensive over here. You can buy three in Paris for the cost of what just one tube is over here, cry. I'm going to put it out there and say that it is still worth the hefty UK price tag and I will happily buy it for that price once mine runs out. I would even go as far as to say if I was only allowed to use one skincare product for the rest of my life then it would have to be this, it really is that good.

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winter skincare saviours

With the recent flurry of snow that most parts of England have had for the last week or so, I couldn't resist putting up a Winter skincare favourites post, and obviously I had to take the product pictures in the snow. Personally I believe that in the cold climate it is more important than ever to take care of your skin properly, using the right products can turn your skin from dull and pasty looking to bright and radiant. I do tend to have slightly dry skin in the Winter which means I like to apply lots of lotions and potions to boost hydration.

BLISS TRIPLE OXYGEN MASK - £39.90

CURRENTLY IN A GIFT SET WORTH £120 FOR JUST £30

I've been a fan of the Bliss moisturiser for a couple of years now (review here) and because of that couldn't resist trying out the face mask from the range. It's by no means cheap but is certainly an investment worth thinking about as it works brilliantly in the morning to hydrate and brighten your skin in an instant. You only need to use one pump in the palm of your hand (meaning the tube lasts forever) then massage onto damp skin and wait for a foam to appear. Wait around five minutes until the foam has sinked into your skin properly and then rinse off. It's my miracle product for mornings where it seems like nothing is going to stop me from looking like a vampire.

WELDA POMEGRANATE BODY OIL - £19.95

Ever since Winter started I have been applying this body oil at every given opportunity. It came in a Glossybox back in the Summer and has been a great discovery for me for quite a few reasons. Firstly, it smells of pomegranate, the scent isn't too sweet though once on the skin and just gives a subtle fresh and fruity aroma. Secondly and most importantly, it doesn't feel sticky or greasy on the skin, it sinks into the skin really well and leaves a delicate sheen to the skin.

HOLLAND AND BARRETT ALOE VERA GEL - £3.99

Any products that have Aloe Vera as a main ingredient are bound to do your skin wonders for hydration however this product is one of the best. If I happen to neglect my skin and forget to moisturise then at times the skin on my legs can become very dry and flaky which is where this product comes in really handy. It feels really soothing yet dries instantly making it perfect for sensitive skin and is ideal for shaving rash too as it works wonders on irritated skin.

EMBRYOLISSE LAIT-CREME CONCENTRE - £17.50

Another product that I brought back from Paris in the Summer and have been loving is this facial moisturiser. It comes in a tube meaning no bulky packaging and making it more hygienic to apply. As a rule face moisturisers aren't my favourite of products as it can be tricky to find one that suits your skin perfectly. Thankfully I'm a big fan of this one due to the consistency being more of a lotion than cream and it works perfectly when my skin is feeling dry and delicate. It just seems to feel really luxurious and if used as a night cream has plenty of time to get to work properly at rehydrating and plumping up your skin. This is another one of those French pharmacy products loved by make up artists and models, so definitely well worth having a look at.

ENVIRON MOISTURISING TONER

I wanted to include this product in the post too as it's not often that you can find toners that are marketed to be hydrating. I usually avoid using a toner in Winter time as they can make my skin feel even drier and strip all of the oil from my skin. This product is a great alternative to use on dry or sensitive skin as not only does it do everything that a toner should but hydrates the skin too.

KERSTIN FLORIAN REHYDRATING NEROLI WATER - £31.50

Sometimes when I'm at home and having a bit of a pamper session day I like to keep this facial spritz on my dresser and whenever I walk past give my face a generous spray. It's also a really handy product to apply when you are fresh out of the bath or shower as it's quick and easy to use and will absorb into your skin and get to work straight away. I definitely notice that my skin looks more bright and radiant the day after use.

What are your skincare must haves for Winter time?