Hello Lovelies! Welcome back to Sense Of Beauty!
First of all, I would like to say a HUGE thank you for everyone who has liked & shared Sense Of Beauty recently. Sense Of Beauty has over 2,000 likes! When I first started my blog, I never thought I would get 1,000 likes, let alone 2,000!
Today's blogpost will be skincare orientated. In the past, I wasn't very interested in my skincare routine. I never took the time to remove my makeup correctly, most of the time I would sleep with it still on or use a makeup wipe. Lately, I've become more conscious with my skin. I'd like to thank skincare training in work for that! I am very lucky that I have normal skin, it can be dehydrated at times though. My skin doesn't tend to break out, sometimes I can get hormonal breakouts around my time of the month.
My usual skincare routine is always the same. Morning time I like to use a serum, eye cream and moisturiser. At night time, I like to remove my makeup using a cleanser, then use an exfoliator and when my skin is cleansed and dry, I use a serum, eye cream and night cream.
My Favourite Serum:
Without a doubt, my absolute favourite serum is the Lancome Advanced Genefique. It suits all skin types and all ages. I like to describe it as a 'jump lead' for your skin. It adds a luminous glow, which is always welcome when you're constantly on the go! It's excellent in the anti-aging department and it absorbs into your skin so quickly. Out of all Lancome's products, the advanced genefique serum is definitely one of my favourites!
My Favourite Eye Creams:
My favourite eye creams consist of the Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream and the Botanics Radiant Youth Hydrating Eye Cream. Both eye creams are hydating, illuminating and anti-aging. At a recent training day, I learned that you are supposed to start using an eye cream as soon as you start wearing eye makeup. It's obvious why you would need to begin using an eye cream but when I was younger, I wasn't aware. Now I feel like I need to make up for lost time and applying an eye cream has become a necessity in my skincare routine.
My Favourite Day Creams:
Using a seperate day and night cream is very important. During the day, I like to use a moisturiser that has a lighter consistency as I like to apply makeup afterwards. My favourite day creams include the Vichy Aqualia Thermal, Clarins Hydraquench Cream and the Lancome Energie De Vie Liquid Moisturiser.
Lately, I seem to be grabbing the Lancome Energie De Vie moisturiser more often than the others. The Lancome EDV moisturiser has the consistency of a serum but the hydration of a lotion. The two main ingredients in the moisturiser are Goji Berries and Lemon Balm, both have excellent benefits for your skin!
The Clarins Hydraquench Cream is a beautiful cream if your skin is lacking hydration. The hydraquench cream has double hyaluronic acid which penetrates through the skins layers much further than most moisturisers. The smell of this moisturiser is amazing too!
The Vichy Aqualia Thermal moisturiser is very similar to the Clarins Hydraquench. It's not too heavy on the skin but is excellent at adding a burst of moisture back into your skin.
My Favourite Night Creams:
Night creams are one of my favourite skincare products. It's important to make sure not to use a cream with SPF at night as it can react with your skin. I like my night cream to boost the hydration in my skin. My three favourite night creams are the Lancome Hydrazen Nuit, the Lancome Energie De Vie Mask and the Vichy Hydrating Mask.
The Lancome Hydrazen Nuit is a very soothing cream. The cream isn't too thick and absrobs into my skin like a dream. The smell of the cream is lovely too.
The Lancome Energie De Vie Mask can be appplied as a night treatment mask or as a night cream. You can apply a thick layer of it, leave for 20 mins and then remove with a damp cloth. You can also apply a thin layer of the mask and use as a night cream. I like to apply a generous layer of the cream and leave it to absorb over night.
The Vichy Hydrating Mask is definitely my favourite night cream to use. Similar to the EDV mask, you can apply a thick layer as a night treatment mask or a thin layer for a night cream. I like to apply a generous layer to my skin and allow it to absorb over night. The morning after I apply this mask, my skin feels so hydrated and smooth. It has a sticky consistency but the end result of using this mask is definitely worth it.
Removing my Makeup:
Before I use a foaming cleanser, I like to remove my makeup with some cotton pads and the Garnier Micellar water. This product is very easy to use and removes all makeup, including eye makeup. It is very gentle on the skin and eyes. I wrote a review a while back of this, if you would like to check it out, click here!
My Favourite Foaming Cleanser:
My favourite foaming cleanser is the Lancome Gel Eclat. As weird as it sounds, it foams really well and cleans your face. Once I've removed my makeup with the Micellar water, I use this. I use this when I'm in the shower too. I don't enjoy using a cleansing milk, I feel like I need to use water to clean my face. People that have dry skin tend to usually prefer cleansing milks as they are nourishing. Those with dry skin can find that using water with a cleanser can further dry their skin out.
My Favourite Exfoliators:
Exfoliators are another one of my favourite skincare products. I usually get dry skin and blackheads on my nose and I find exfoliators are excellent at helping reduce this.
The Cien Exfoliating Facial Wash is a gentle exfoliator that I like to use daily. Exfoliators should be used once or twice a week but because this one is very gentle, I like to use it daily after my foaming cleanser.
The Lancome Exfoliance Confort is an amazing exfoliator. It hydrates your skin while exfoliating the dead/dry skin. This is a stronger exfoliator than the Cien Exfoliating Facial Wash, I still use it a few times a week.
My Favourite Face Masks:
Face masks are amazing for your skin! I've already spoke about the Vichy Hydating Mask and the EDV Mask in my Night Cream sections. Along with hydrating masks, I enjoy using clay masks. The Vichy Clay Mask & the Loreal Detox Mask are both excellent. They pull any imperfections out of your skin and they are recommended to be used twice a week. Both are very similar but I do prefer the Loreal one. I like to apply them to damp skin, leave for 20-25 mins and then remove with a warm cloth.
Finally, we have reached the end of today's blogpost. I hope you enjoyed it and found some interesting products to try out. A good skincare routine is the base for your makeup. Skincare products don't need to cost an arm and a leg either, brands like Loreal and Vichy are very affordable and effective. Have fun trying new skincare products, multi-masking is super fun and worthwhile!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
See you in my next blogpost!
XO, Siobhán