Friday 30 November 2012

Dont Let Jack Frost Nip Your Nose

Before I start with this post, a quick apology for being rather MIA for the past few posts, Kate has been holding fort on the lifestyle digest whilst I've been busy with work demands. BUT I'm back with some of my favourite skincare secrets for the winter season.
I have picked out some of my favourite skincare items, which with the winter months i feel are essential with skin becoming dry dehydrated and that tight tingling sensation you feel when you've had a long cold walk becomes ever too common. These weather conditions call for some serious TLC in the skincare department, and I always depend on my oils, serums and balms to help see me through the cold months.
First things first, cleansers and make up removal. Cleansing is easily the most important thing in a persons skincare routine yet its the one so many of us miss out, or opt for the ever so easy make up wipe! Don't do it. A good cleanser will not only give you a clean base to allow the rest of your products to work to the best they can, but it helps circulate the blood and get rid of excess sebum (dry skin - had to clarify that as it sounds dodgy) I look no further than the three products above;
Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, not too oily so it leaves a residue but not too water based so its difficult to get your mascara off, perfection.
Elemis Tri Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash, this is the best cleanser I have ever used. It is from Elemis' Anti Age range, and after trying a sample of it, I ran back for the full size, the rest is history. This milky cream cleanser gets every scrap of make up off, whilst giving your skin a real deep cleanse without leaving your skin feeling uncomfortable and tight. I honestly cannot tell you how much it helps with regulating oil production and keeping spots at bay, so if you suffer with oily skin, go grab a sample at your nearest counter. 
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, I originally bought this product on a complete whim. Dermalogica has been a brand I have dipped in and out of, but nothing has ever really excited me, until I found this little baby. The small granuals once mixed with water turn into a ex foliating paste and without being abrasive at all to the skin, buffs away any dead skin cells. Do be careful; use infrequently, excessive use can be too much!

Eye Cream, always seems quite a tedious step in a skincare routine but something I make a conscious effort to never leave out. Dehydration lines left untouched can quickly turn into fine lines. I have used every single eye cream on the market, but stopped my search at ANR eye cream from Estee Lauder, a light gel consistency but incredibly hydrating, I wake up in the morning with no bags in sight, bye bye puffy eyes. Two to three times a week I use Bobbi Brown Intensive Eye Balm, an intensive balm that feels a little sticky and uncomfortable in the first hour, it takes its time but once sank in, works wonders! Just go and try it!
If I could insert sound clips into this post, I would insert a little squeal of joy here. Everybody has heard of La Mer, ridiculous in price but like someone has waved a magic wand on your skin, it is worth every single penny. I use the original moisturising cream. This is not for the faint hearted, so thick you need a spatula to get it out, you have to warm it up with your fingers to break it down into a lighter cream, a small amount of this goes a long way, so even though you're spending a small fortune it really does last a long time. This is a miracle for healing spots or acne scars and I wouldn't be without it.

Okay so time for my favourite bit, serums and oils.
If you would have asked me a year ago to lather my face in oil before bed, I would have run a mile, as mentioned before, I'm always battling with an oily T-Zone so the thought of putting If If you would have asked me a year ago to lather my face in oil before bed, I would have run a mile, as mentioned before, I'm always battling with an oily T-Zone so the thought of putting oil on oil? disaster combination! However once I got my job in the industry and started to get a better knowledge of skincare and their ingreadiants, I started to dip my little toe into the world of serums and realised oil actually helps regulate oil production and by giving your skin the oil it needs, helps the skin to stop producing so much of its own oil. My love affair started with Estee Lauder's, Advanced Night Repair. If you haven't heard of it, you must have been living under a rock, possibly the most over hyped serum of all time and enough bottles sold every year to earn more than Bobbi Brown do as a company! Yeah, its pretty big. And so justly deserved, my skin drinks this up every night and without going into too much detail, the benefits for your skin are phenomenal. 
Kiehls also have a lot to offer in the serum/oil department, my favourite is the midnight recovery concentration, a pure oil, you need a mere 2 drops to cover your whole face. I would really recommend this product if you are looking for something to help your skin deal with the cold weather, this little bottle builds up a protective barrier of hydration overnight and allows you to see results instantly!
Who doesn't love a face mask? Sometimes all I want to do after a long day is get home, get my make-up off, pop a face mask on and slip into a warm bath! I picked out a selection of my favourites at the moment. Sisley, a skincare brand from Paris, definitely doesn't come cheap but their facial masks are always in magazines top 50 beauty awards. I love these two in particular;  The Radiant Glow mask, an orange clay mask which you allow to set on the skin and once buffed off, leaves the most radiant complexion, perfect before a night out or a important meeting. I also really enjoy their flower gel mask, Sisley's most popular mask, this is like a drink for the skin, advised to be left on for 20 minutes I prefer to sleep in it for a really intensive treatment overnight. The REN and Origins masks are both clay based masks, designed for problem skin, these help pull impurities out of the skin and speed up the healing process. If I ever feel a breakout coming, I can always rely on one of these two to calm it down.
BY MIMI.

No comments: