I am pretty low-maintenance (read: zero maintenance) makeup wise, but I’m fairly militant when it comes to my skincare routine. I go without any sort of CC cream, BB cream, foundation most days and when I’m especially lazy not a single drop of concealer either. My ability to do that is based on the fact that I’m known to never skip my nightly and morning skin routines.
But in full disclosure, I know that I am super super lucky. I never had more than the occasional breakout growing up, and since I hit my mid-20s I can go months at a time without a spot (knock on wood, I’ve probably just cursed myself). Any breakouts I’ve ever had have always synched up to my period and otherwise I’ve been good to go. I can’t over-exaggerate how thankful I am to both my parents for luckily having good skin genes that they passed down to me.
I’ve always had other skincare concerns though: my skin tends to be super dry (lizard dry, in fact), I have awful (genetic) dark eye circles (that don’t correspond to my sleep patterns), big pores and the under-eye bags. Plus some fine lines around my eyes due to squinting constantly. (Even though I’m a contact / glasses wearer I find myself still squinting, and I read in low light – not a great combo).
Skin Care Products That I Swear By:
Nighttime Routine:
I wash with La Roche Posay’s Toleriane cleanser. I then do over my face with Garnier Micellar Water to pick up any trace debris left behind. (Micellar water is marketed as a miracle product but it doesn’t clean deeply so make sure you’re using it in combo with something else). On alternate nights I then follow this with a few swipes of Pixi Glow Tonic.
I then warm some Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil in my hands and press it into the area around my eyes and upper masque of my face. I then press Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Essence Treatment into the rest of my face. I let the oils dry and then apply a thin layer of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo to my nose and chin (where I need an extra boost with my pores). I finish with a light layer of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream everywhere and a light layer of Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment around my eyes.
Every two weeks, I give myself a good face masque. I love Aesop’s Parsley Seed Masque.
Morning Routine:
My morning routine is a lot more low-key. I do a cleanse with Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish, another pressing of Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Essence Treatment and then some Ultra Facial Cream again.
I use my Burt’s Bees Honey chapstick every day and I’ll put Lucas Pawpaw Ointment anywhere. Super cracked lip skin, slap some pawpaw on it; dry nose skin from a cold – pawpaw to the rescue!
Hair Care:
As an extra bonus I have some tried and true haircare products. I have really coarse hair that can feel really dry and get super frizzy. Hair stylists always remark on the odd texture of my hair. It only has a slight wave but the texture of super curly hair. (I blame my mom’s full head of natural out-of-control curls combined with my dad’s pin straight hair for this problem).
I always look for sulphate free shampoos because I don’t need any help making my hair more dry. Both Davines Oi shampoo and Oi conditioner are SLES and paraben free. They are about £15 each (which is loads to me to spend on shampoo and conditioner) but you only need a 10p sized amount of both and the bottles last ages. I’ve just re-purchased both and they last me about 8 months.
If my hair is feeling especially dry or damaged I do a Phillip Kingsley Elestacizer Extreme masque. (I only do this about once a month).
I try not to blow-dry, straighten or curl my hair most days and let it dry naturally with a few spritzes of Bumble and Bumbles Surf Spray.
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Lately, I’ve also been using the Glossier Balm Dot Com, the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, Priming Moisturiser and Glossier Solution. I’ve not included them in this post, as I don’t like to review a skincare product until I’ve used it for at least 60 days, so that I can get the best scope of its effectiveness. I can tell you that the Glossier Boy Brow and Cloud Paint are WELL worth the hype!
If you’re looking to buy some Glossier products, here’s my 10% off code.
What are your holy grail beauty items?
***This post contains affiliate links. None of these products were gifted.***
