I'm admittedly not one of those perfect looking beauty vloggers here to wow you with my youthful good looks, but I am a tired thirty something Mum that needs a helping hand to look decent, so I'm hoping this will help some of you reading this that feel the same. Hitting my thirties and having two babies and a serious lack of sleep has really taken its toll on my skin and just lately I've been a lot more conscious of what I do before bed and when I wake to make sure my skin is less dry and flaky, less prone to spots and far fresher looking. I was getting to a point where I was constantly unhappy with how my makeup was sitting, my skin was looking super old, dry and tired and I constantly had flaky skin, especially around my nose and forehead. I have combination skin which means I get oily spots and super dry spots, so it can be tricky to get a routine that's a good all rounder, but I've finally cracked it and I'm so much happier and more confident with my skin. I'm getting less break outs and it feels nice having clearer skin. With these simple steps, my skin looks brighter, clearer, possibly even a little younger and my makeup sits a lot better, looking more dewy and less cakey on my skin. There's nothing worse than cakey makeup is there? Especially when it gathers in your wrinkles making them look worse than ever.
For starters I am trying to get to bed a little earlier as those extra hours in bed to make the world of difference to skin, but also trying to drink more water. I'm not drinking nearly enough as I should, but that should get easier now it's warming up outside! I'm also trying really hard to have a clean face before bed every night because it does age you over time and just one night sleeping in makeup makes my skin feel utterly dirty and dire. So, here's my 3 simple steps and the products I use, for clearer brighter skin each day...
Cleansing - Garnier Micellar water with oil
This stuff has been my favourite for a couple of years now and having tried lots of other things, literally nothing compares. I wear long lasting lipstick which I have to scrub with anything else, but with this it just lifts it off so I can wipe it away. This would be great if you use any long lasting heavy makeup or brow products. My skin feels really clean after this and the oil leaves my skin feeling soft, but not greasy. This is the only product I've ever used where I can honestly say my skin feels spotlessly clean afterwards, so it's always going to be in my bathroom.
Exfoliating - Nip Fab exfoliator or Ginvera Marvel gel
Next to get rid of the dry patches, I flip between two products depending on how delicate my skin is feeling. For days where I'm up for a little roughness, the Nip Fab exfoliator is perfect for smoothing off my skin and erasing those dead skin cells. After rinsing, my skin feels noticeably softer and this makes a big difference to my dry skin. For days where I need something a little more gentle, the Marvel Gel from Ginvera is perfect for cleaning away the dry patches without scrubbing. This is a cool green gel that you simply rub on to remove dry bits and I adore this product.
Hydrating - Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference
Having treated myself to this in the January sales, I can say without a doubt that I will buy again and I'd happily pay full price which is around £30 for the pot. This 'does what it says on the tin' making a visible difference from the very first use and hydrating my skin. I was amazed when I first used this at the difference and I really recommend this if your skins in need of a good moisture dose right now. I use this every night and on drier days in the morning too, I just let it dry before applying my makeup and it glides on like a dream!
These three products take me just a few minutes each day and have really been a total game changer when it comes to my skin. I'm not saying it's totally perfect, but it's a million miles better than it was and I'm very happy with my skin now. I just have to do the same with the rest of my skin now and I'll feel and look healthier all over! If you can recommend any new products to try, please do pop a comment below, I love trying out new things.
What do you use in your skin care routine?
