My Current Skincare Routine

I decided at the beginning of this year that I really need to get into a good skincare routine. Whenever I stuck to one for a few days, I could notice a big difference in my skin so I've made sure that I've found a routine that works for me.

 

I start with Clean and Clear Morning Energy Daily Facial Scrub (£3.99 in Boots) which really gives my skin a boost and wakes me up. I like the scrub as it clears any dead skin cells but it's not too harsh on my skin. If I feel like my skin is a bit oily or I have a lot of blemishes I'll use the Clean and Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion (£2.99 in Boots) and wipe over my face using a cotton pad. I have raved about this product so many times but it is really good for clearing and cleaning my skin. Clean and Clear currently have on offer of 2 for £5 too. (That's when I usually bulk buy!). If my skin needs a little boost, I'll use Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now Energy Balm (£11 in Boots), which instantly make my skin look more glowing and more radiant. (I reviewed it on my blog recently.) Every day I apply The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream (£10). It's perfect for my skin as I'm not oily everywhere so it adds moisture to areas that need it and mattifies oily areas. It sinks in really quick so I can apply make up straight away. The balanceMe Wonder Eye Cream (£10 normally) actually came free with a Glamour magazine a while back, but I really love how it applies to my skin and leaves my eyes looking much more awake than they actually are!

 

 

At night, I tend to be really lazy with skincare but I'm trying hard to keep to a routine. If I get in late or I'm super tired I'll use the Deep Cleansing Lotion again along with Garnier Soothing Eye Make Up Remover (£2.99 in Boots) - which removes all of my eye make up without irritating my eyes at all -  but I try to use Sanctuary Fresh Faced Purifying Wash (£9.00 in Boots). It removes all traces of make up and leaves my skin feeling super smooth. I then apply Simple Kind To Skin Night Cream (£5.60 in Boots) which sinks in nicely and doesn't overclog my skin. If I have any blemishes I'll apply The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil (£7.00) onto the affected area, and by the morning it's significantly reduced.

 

 

What are your skincare must haves?

 

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Fake Tan Minus The Smell

If I had it my way, I would constantly have a gorgeous tan that never fades and never streaks and never has a horrible 'I'm obviously wearing fake tan' smell. Realisticly, I never have time to maintain a fake tan and I'm so bad at applying I always end up looking streaky.

A while ago, Tanya Burr did a haul video and one of the things she purchased was Garnier Summer body. What she said made me decide I wanted to try it as it sounded ideal for someone like me.

My first impression was that the scent was amazing. I could not smell any fake tan at all, just pure apricot which also remained on my skin and left me smelling pretty good if I do say so myself. I also love that it's a white cream so it's not so intimidating. I honestly I think I prefer gradual tans as any mistakes made (in my case it's normally a lot) aren't so obvious and it allows you to build up a natural looking tan.

With other gradual tans, I found that it takes a very long time to build up enough to actually look tanned and normally by that point I've given up as it's not worth it. However, after just two uses, it was noticed by others that I was looking tanned. The only little tiny downside is that the apricot smell does goes away a little the next day and you are left with a very slight tan smell - but this is a gradual tan not a miracle worker.

I'm pretty sure I've just rambled a lot in this post but I hope you get the idea of how great this product really is. I've probably missed out all of the important bits but I'm sure you'll forgive me after you use it yourself. :)

PS I purchased the dark instead of the slight based on Tanya's recommendation and it isn't 'dark-dark' but it provides a better gradual tan.

PPS I just looked up the price online and it is currently HALF PRICE at Boots. I am definitely going to stock up - you can buy it online here.