I'm back with my Evening Skincare Routine, today, after sharing my morning routine with you on Wednesday. In the evening i do a much more extensive routine seeing as i have far more time after work than i do before i leave in the morning.
The first thing i do when i get home is remove my make up and usually i would use the Clinique Take the Day Off Balm but i've actually run out of that and i had this Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm that i trialled out a couple of months ago so thought i'd use this up first and then go back to using my Clinique. They both do the same thing, i just personally prefer the Clinique version. I dampen my face and neck, over my make up, with warm water, scoop some balm out, work it between my fingers for a minute and then massage it into my damp face and neck, working in circular motions. I start with my cheeks and chin, go down to my neck, then up to my forehead and lastly i massage my eyes and my eyelashes gently but repeatedly until i can feel the mascara breaking down. I then use a flannel to wipe off all the balm, dirt and make up and then usually go in for a second go at my eyes just to make sure that all that eye make up is gone. It leaves my face feeling clean, fresh and soft and i just give my face a second to breathe before i go in with anything else.
Once i feel ready i then go ahead and dampen my face again, and this time smearing the Ren Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel liberally all over my face and neck. I'm not afraid to use plenty of this because i massage it in using my Clarisonic and i know that it'll work it all into my skin. The gel is amazing for those of you have super sensitive skin as it deeply and thoroughly cleans but without being too harsh or stripping the skin, and is supposed to leave skin soothed and calm which i can definitely vouch for.
I have the Clarisonic Mia 2 Sonic Skin Cleansing System and i've loved it ever since i got it about a year ago. I actually did a review of my experience, so far, with the Clarisonic back in May 2015 if you want to read my initial thoughts. I've tried quite a few cleansers along side my Clarisonic but this has absolutely been my favourite, it works beautifully into my skin leaving it feeling super clean but without being tight or the dreaded 'squeaky clean' and i love the consistency. I should probably also add that i use the Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Heads on my system as i find that they're gentler but firm enough to work product into my skin.
I then very often go in with using the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel as a second cleanse if i feel like my skin really needs some TLC and extra cleansing. I adore this cleanser and learnt about this, again, from the skincare queen Caroline Hirons. It's a gel-to-oil like consistency and starts out life as a light pink colour, but once melted into the skin becomes more clear. I don't know what it is about this but it makes me feel so super clean but again without feeling tight or 'squeaky clean'. It makes my skin feel so soft, and it's full of vitamins and fruit enzymes that lift any dirt or makeup left on my face. It's supposed to illuminate and nourish the skin, which you can really feel and see after use.
After all my cleansing i switch between using the Pixi Glow Tonic, as my nighttime acid toner, and the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads which are pictured here. They both do the same job but it's nice to switch up every so often so your skin doesn't get too used to it. The First Aid Pads have the right amount of lactic and glycolic acids to make them safe for daily use, and also contain cucumber, Indian gooseberry, lemon peel and liquorice root. They tone the skin and leave it looking bright, getting rid of dead skin cells and taking away dullness.
Despite it's hefty price tag, i have repurchased the Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum probably three or four times now because i love it that much. I apply this after my acid toner, mostly during the colder months but this does frequent my skincare routine in the Summertime too. I use this mainly at night but it is great under foundation too, and keeps you hydrated all day. It supposedly hydrates the skin for 24 hours, now i can't quite vouch for that but it really does keep your skin smooth and happy for a long old time. It contains 'camellia micro-droplets' which consist active ingredients that stay in their purest state until the moment of application, or so the Chanel website informs me. This supposedly helps with keeping the skin as intensely hydrated and plumped as possible. It doesn't leave a film on the skin, it doesn't feel sticky or wet and it absorbs almost instantly.
My next step is eye cream and my favourite is the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. I've tried plenty of eye creams and this just happens to be my favourite one. I used to go for ones that claimed great things in the dark circle stakes but really, if you've got them you've got them and ain't no eye cream going to help. I'm sure some can help them appear lighter but really you just need sleep and lots of water. I love this one because it's so, so hydrating and up until last Winter i never really had a problem with dry under eyes but now, if i'm not careful, they can become flaky and super sore. This helps prevent all that and keeps things soft and a great base for my makeup. It's rich and creamy without being too heavy, it doesn't hurt my eyes and i just love it. I find it best if you warm it up between your fingers first or at least let it be warmed by your ring finger before you apply it, otherwise the texture can be quite strange.
I hadn't used this stuff in about 8 years or so, since i used to have really awful eczema. Someone who worked at my school actually used to be a Forever Living rep and suggested it to my mum for my sore skin, and when i used it before it was honestly the only thing that helped. So when one of my friends at work told me she was a Forever Living rep, it brought back all sorts of memories. I knew i just had to try the Forever Living Aloe Propolis Creme again and see if i still loved it as much, and i did but this time in a whole new way. I had never before tried it in this way but actually love using this on my face. I thought it would block my pores and break me out but it actually did the exact opposite; it kept my skin moisturised and help treat my acne making my skin much smoother and less spotty. Now i use it almost every night and it still helps with keeping my skin at it's best.
I do often use a few other moisturisers either instead of or in conjunction with the Forever Living one, which you'll hear about in my morning skincare routine and my skincare arsenal posts.
Probably my absolute favourite skincare product is an oil and i never, ever thought i would say that coming from an oily skinned gal. But as i educated myself in skincare, over time i have learnt all the ways in which to care for my acne prone, sensitive, oily/combination skin. The one that i have fallen madly in love with and has made the most changes to my skin is the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I heard about this from TalkBeckyTalk right at the beginning of my skincare love affair, she also said she had oily skin but loved it and i was so intrigued that i just had to try it. This basically packs your skin with moisture all while looking after it, helping keep it smooth and blemish free which i never realised oils could do. It also helps promote radiant skin and replenish to keeping it looking young and plumped. A little goes a long way but this is another product i have repurchased over and over again.
Lastly, is the Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Balm which i apply last of all and it just helps keep my chapped lips feeling really smooth and looked after. The lemon helps to exfoliate and keep them looking fresh, and overnight it works it's magic to stop any sore lips by morning.
There we have it, my nighttime skincare routine. Please do share yours and what your favourite products are.
K|xo
No comments:
Post a Comment