Winter Skincare Routine

Over the last month or so I have added a few new products to my routine so I thought it would be a good time to write an update about what I'm currently using and enjoying. I also wanted to mention a product that hasn't been such a success, which is probably just as useful to share.

MORNING

Nuxe Micellar Foam Cleanser
Before anyone tells me off, yes, yes, I know current wisdom suggests that it's a bad idea to use a foaming cleanser. However, my skin always feels rank if I completely stop using a foaming cleanser as part of my routine. I'm certainly not advocating them for everyone but I do like this one very much. I find the Nuxe similar to the Emma Hardie foaming cleanser in formula but the Nuxe foam feels a little creamier. I bought this from Escentual.com during a 1/3 off French Skincare promotion.

Nourish Radiance Refreshing Toning Mist*
I use this to dampen my face post cleanse, before using either the MuLondon moisturiser or Suti oil. It has quite a powerful spritzing action, a bit too powerful to be honest and it makes me miss the very delicate mist of the Live Native MSM toner.

MuLondon Organic Rose Moisturiser*
I thought it would be nice to revisit this moisturiser as my skin was feeling a little dry and weather beaten. You can find my original review here. It has a solid balm texture which melts with body heat. I tend to scrape up a small amount, melt it between my hands before massaging into my face and neck, which I dampen with toner beforehand. I prefer to dampen my skin as I don't need as much of the moisturiser that way and it makes it easier to spread. 

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm*
I'll sometimes use this in the morning if I didn't get opportunity to have a thorough cleanse the night before (see below for an explanation). It always leaves my skin feeling lovely and clean when used in conjunction with a hot flannel.

EVENING

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover
I finally allowed myself to re-purchase this old favourite after finishing off all my half used bottles of eye makeup remover. I've dabbled with bi-phasic and micellar removers but I much prefer this light cream formula. It's quick and effective, I also find that it can double as an all over makeup remover when I'm feeling very lazy.

No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser
I've returned to using this cleanser as it's very nearly empty and I'm still on a major drive to use up products. Although this was also an old favourite (I've been through several tubes in the past), I think the love affair is definitely over. I still like the creamy texture but the fragrance is too synthetic and I suspect it irritates my skin very slightly. I much prefer the Pai cleanser and Emma Hardie cleansing balm to this. I'm actually tempted to do the unthinkable and throw it away before it's empty. 

Bioderma Crealine Micellar Water
I've had to use this as a makeup remover quite a lot over the Christmas period. It's not ideal but unfortunately our bathroom backs on to my daughters room and if she's stirring as we go up to bed, running lots of water often wakes her up. I'll take a sticky face over getting her back to sleep any day! As I mentioned above, I will use the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm in the morning to make up for it.
 
Suti Rejuvenate Organic Facial Oil*
Although facial oils seem very popular in the beauty community, it's not something I use very often. I don't think I've ever managed to review an oil as I am incapable of applying daily for a 28 day period. However, an excellent guest review of the Suti Rejuvenate oil on London MakeUp Girl encouraged me to give this a proper try. I apply this in a similar way to the MuLondon moisturiser, I ensure my skin is thoroughly dampened with the toner spray before massaging in several drops of oil. When I use it in the evenings, I find I wake up with beautifully soft skin without a trace of greasiness.

Before I started using the Organic Rose moisturiser in the mornings, I often used the Suti oil and found it an excellent prep for foundation. I find that in winter, foundation can sometimes accentuate dry patches (even when you thought you had none) but both the MuLondon and the Suti oil are very good at counteracting this. The Vapour Soft Focus Skin Perfector is also very good for this.

OCCASIONAL

I noticed there was a bit of theme to these three supplementary items. The short days, winter winds and central heating all do an excellent job of making my skin look rather dull and grey. I use all of these products in the quest for more radiant skin.

Live Native Essential Earth Exfoliating Cleanser*
This lives in my shower and I use it a couple of times a week. It has quite a gentle exfoliating action so it doesn't feel over the top to have this and the exfoliating mask in my routine.

Omorovicza Radiance Renewal Serum*
Before I switched to using the Suti oil, I used this serum to supplement my moisturiser in the evenings. The moisturiser I had been using wasn't sufficiently hydrating on its own and I felt that the  serum helped to counteract this.

Sjal Pearl Enzyme Exfoliating Mask*
I used this on Christmas day and before my night out at the beginning of December. It's an expensive item that I can't see myself replacing, so I feel the need to eke it out! It smells very odd (and not in a good way) but the pay off is smooth, glowing skin. A cheaper, less smelly alternative is the Dr Darren McKeown Mask from Superdrug. 

DIDN'T LOVE

I really wanted to love the Antipodes Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream and my initial impressions were good. It smells beautiful and the texture is lovely but much richer than you would expect for a light cream. Despite the rich texture, I found it behaved oddly on my skin. Rather than being absorbed or leaving a film, after a couple of minutes it would begin to dry on the surface of my skin. Whilst it didn't exactly make my skin tight, it was an uncomfortable feeling. I would also need to use something else before applying foundation as this left my skin too dry to apply directly. I'm hopeful that I can make it more servicable by adding a drop of oil as I apply it.

Have you discovered any new skincare favourites over the last couple of months or have you been re-united with your old winter favourites?

* The items shown here are a mixture of items purchased by me and PR samples. The samples are all indicated with an asterisk.

Hand Creams Part II

Although the sun keeps putting in an appearance and Winter is behind us, I'm still finding I'm in need of a regular application of hand cream. I think it's the combination of being outside a lot and the frequent hand washing that comes with looking after small children that ravages my skin. I thought I would give an overview of some I have been using and liking recently.

Best for Maintenance - All for Eve Hand Cream (£7.50)
This is another item that I got as part of my TSV order from QVC. This sits in the kitchen and is used by both my husband and I. It has a lovely fresh fragrance and sinks in easily. I reach for this one when my hands are in good condition, I don't find it heavy duty enough for when my hands are chapped and dry but it's good for everyday use. I particularly like the shape of the packaging too.

Best for Luxury - Dr. Hauschka Hand Cream (£12.77)
I was sent a tube of this by a very lovely blogger after I tried hers and loved it. When I refer to this as being luxurious, it's because of the lovely texture of the cream. It's very moisturising without feeling heavy which is exactly what I'm after. I have a heavy body butter type cream which I use at night but it's too greasy for the day, unless I wear cotton gloves and frankly who wants to do that in the daytime? This is perfect for really soothing and nourishing without leaving me incapable of using my hands.

Best for Repair - Alva Stressed Hands Cream (£7.70)
I was very kindly sent this to try by Alva after they heard about my troubled hands. This cream is excellent for soothing dry, chapped hands. It does have an unusual scent, it's slightly medicinal as well as being quite citrussy. It contains avocado oil, marigold extract and camomile which I think accounts for the moisturising and soothing properties. The other plus is that it's fairly unisex, great for the man in your life if, like mine, they get chapped hands too.

Best for Ladylike Fragrance - The Body Shop Vitamin E Hand and Nail Cream (£8)
This is the most recent acquisition and was a gift from my children for my birthday. It has a nice feel, sinks in easily and my favourite thing is the scent. Oddly, I can't smell it immediately but after it sinks in to my skin I pick up the lovely rosy smell (it contains rose hip oil and geraniol) and I can't stop sniffing my hands.

Have you tried any of these? Do you find dry hands are a year round battle or are yours recovering now that winter is over? 

Old Favourites

I spend a lot of time talking about new favourties and what I'd like to get next. So, I thought it was high time I gave a mention to some of my old favourites. I apologise in advance as not all of these colours are still available but I thought it would be interesting to share with you anyhow.

Eyeshadows
The first eyeshadows I wanted to mention are from the only quad I've ever purchased from MAC. It's the Smoking Quad from the Smoke Signals collection, released September 2007. I remember going to buy this extremely well as I was overdue with William and waddled in to MAC having contractions! The colours that I love from this palette are Next to Nothing and Satin Taupe. Next to Nothing is a flesh coloured beige with champagne shimmer. It's limited edition but I believe it has been re-released a few times. Satin Taupe is a bit of a ubiquitous MAC colour but I love it all the same. After years of trying colours that were too warm for me this was a revelation. I have worn it both as a lid colour and crease colour and feel it works well either way.

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Left; Next to Nothing, Right; Satin Taupe


Left; Satin Taupe, Right ; Next to Nothing

My other favourite eyeshadow colours are Brule and Omega (both MAC again). I bought Brule after watching Nic from Pixiwoo do her corner lashes look. It's a nude beige and is close to skin colour for me as you can probably tell from the swatch below. I'll often use this all over the eye to even out any discolouration. I also use it a lot to help blend out crease colours, both above the crease and at the outer edge of my eye if I've taken colour out too far.

Omega is a really naturally crease colour for me and I picked it up when I was unable to get Wedge. I quite often use Brule over the eye, with Omega in the crease and a gel eyeliner to give a simple defined eye. I also use Omega as a brow powder, it's great for that as it has no red tones. Though after purchasing the Shu Seal Brown pencil it's been a bit negleted for my brows!


Left; Brule, Right; Omega


Left; Omega, Right; Brule

Eyeliners
I was astonished when I was pulling out items for this post, just how many eyeliners I have. I'm obviously a big fan! I wear glasses so I do find my eyes disappear if I don't line them. I also think I mentioned to someone the other day, if I don't use a liner you can see all my mascara blob marks more easily. Ooops! Maybe I should start putting mascara on first then cleaning up? Anyway, I digress.



The first eyeliner I want to mention is MAC fluidline in Macroviolet (pictured above). I purchased this a long time ago and it really need replacing now. I know MAC fluidlines aren't for everyone but I absolutely adore this colour. It's a slightly metallic violet and is dark enough to add definition but not so much that you can't see the colour. I've often worn it with Brule as an all over and MAC Mink Pink as a crease colour to make a bit of a change from the usual brown or taupe.



Top to Bottom; MAC Teddy, TBS Rich Brown, Rimmel Hurricane Grey


Top to Bottom; TBS Rich Brown, Rimmel Hurricane Grey, MAC Teddy

I've had and loved these eye pencils for a long time. They're all really easy to wear for me so they're great for when I'm in a rush. The brown is from the The Body Shop and is their Rich Brown eye definer. It looks quite dark in the swatch but somehow seems more chocolately on my eyes. I didn't realise until recently that it works well for me because it doesn't have much red in it. The grey is Rimmel's eye pencil in 164 Hurricane Grey which as the name describes it's a stormy grey. I find I can't wear greys generally but this one somehow works. MAC Teddy eye kohl is real favourite and I will definitely re-purchase when it runs out. It's a bronzey brown colour and works well as a just a line or smudged out. This is one of the few things recommended for my eye colour that does look good on me (if I do say so myself!). I know this one is still available as it's part of MAC's permanent line, whereas as I'm not sure if the other two have been discontinued.

Lips


Bourjois lipstick and lip liner


Top to Bottom; Bourjois Cannelle rosée, Bourjois Enjôleuse lip liner, Rimmel Temptress lipstick

I'm extremely fond of this Bourjois lipstick as it's the colour I wore on my wedding day. The colour is Cannelle rosée (no.45) and whilst investigating last night this was the only shade they no longer had! It's a rosy pink and is very similar to my Rouge Bunny Rouge Irreverence, though with a slightly more orange hue to it. The Bourjois lip liner is in the shade Enjôleuse (no.11). This again is a rosy pink, though a bit darker than the lipstick. It's quite similar to my lip colour so it is really handy. I have been known to wear this smudged all over my lips with a bit of gloss.

The last lipstick I wanted to mention is Rimmel Temptress. It is a Sheer Temptation lipstick which again I think is discontinued. The shade is quite a a dark metallic plum. I'm not entirely sure what made me pick this up as it isn't a usually choice for me but I'm very glad I did. It's a lovely colour, the formula is easy to wear and with of slick I instantly feel 'done'.


Blusher



I've mentioned this before in my blush collection post. I've had MAC Northern Lights MSF for years now. I think it might have been amongst my first MAC purchases. I'd been recommended this to use as a blush for my colouring. I don't wear it as much these days but I can't bring myself to part with it despite the glitter. It gives a lovely sheen to the cheeks and looks nice on it's own or over a matte blusher.

Do you have old favourites lurking in your make up bag?
Jane x

Skincare routine

I am really fascinated by people's skincare routines. I have gone from being fairly haphazard in my regimen to being very strict about removing all traces of make up and moisturising religously. In my working life I've come across a lot of problem skin and I'm aware that I'm really lucky to have clear skin though it is starting to show signs of ageing. I suppose for those with oily skin it's small comfort to know that your skin won't age so quickly.

Someone that I once worked with, on discovering my passion for beauty, took great pleasure in telling me that all moisturisers are produced from the same base product and that I was wasting my time spending more than a few pounds. I took it in on board for all of 5 minutes and then was back to my usual spendy ways! Although I understand that without prescription concentrations of active ingredients, no product will make a permanent difference. However, I think plenty of them work fantastically on a cosmetic level.

This is my current facial skincare routine:

Morning
Face wash: No.7 Gentle Foaming cleanser
Moisturiser: Oil of Olay Complete Care Multi-Radiance cream
Serum: Skin Wisdom Firm and Lift V zone serum




Evening
Eye makeup remover: The Body Shop Camomille waterproof eye make up remover
Cleanser: No.7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth cleanser (used with flannel instead of muslin)
Moisturiser: Nuxe Crème Merveillance

Treatments
Exfoliator: St. Ives Apricot Scrub
Pore tightening: Soap & Glory Fab Pore 15 minute facial peel
Radiance mask: Lancome Vivéclat
Lips: Lansinoh (nipple cream but great for overnight treatment on lips)

With the exception of the Soap & Glory, I love all of these products. The Lancome Vivéclat is old but this is wonderful as an overnight moisturiser when I need an extra bit of help. The Radiance Hot Cloth cleanser is lovely. Since buying it I have seen a lot of rave reviews pop up and they are well deserved. It's very creamy, smells beautiful and isn't at all drying. I think it's extremely important not to strip the skin.

The Nuxe cream is also a delight to use. I only use it at night in order to eke it out. The smell is amazing and it feels wonderful on the skin. I think the only thing that is noticeably absent from the list is an eye cream. I really need to rectify this!

I'd love to know what you use and what products you really rate. I'm always happy to find a new favourite. Also, if you would like more detailed reviews on any of the products please let me know.

Jane x