My Ride or Die Skincare Routine
The other day, whilst waffling through my blog archives, I realised that whilst I may often reference fave skincare products, I don't think I've ever shared my absolute ride or die skincare products (aka my dream skincare routine). And to be honest, in retrospect, this is probably because of the sheer number of products I've been trying. Because I know skincare, and love skincare, I'm constantly switching products so it's quite rare that I keep to one set of products - but I've realised it caused breakouts so I do try to keep to this as much as possible now. But here we go. My ride or die skincare products.
Makeup Removal.
I hate smearing makeup all over my face. If I'm ever out, the last thing I want is for my red lipstick to end up on my eyebrows, so I always use a bi-phase makeup remover. I've switched between quite a few but as I wear contact lenses, I find some of them really irritate my eyes. The La Roche Posay Respectissime Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover is amazing as it's oh so gentle and doesn't leave my eyes feeling oily or uncomfortable. The whole La Roche Posay range is for sensitive skin so it's ideal for fellow contact lens wearers such as myself. 10/10.
Cleanser.
This should honestly be NO surprise but the Una Brennan Super Facialist Cleansing Oil is my absolute RIDE OR DIE. I NEVER don't use this and ensure to always pick it up when it's on 2-for-1 in Boots (then it works out at £3.50 a bottle). It smells like oranges and is the best drugstore oil based cleanser I've tried. It's so gentle, works a dream at removing any excess makeup (and is great at removing everyday minimal makeup) but doesn't leave my skin feeling oily. I apply this to damp skin, massage it in and then remove it with a flannel. It is the best and I shall never change my mind (maybe).
Mask.
I have so many masks in my 'collection' but if I only had to use one, the Origins Original Skin Retexturising Mask does everything. It's a clay mask with jojoba beads so when it dries, removing it results in a gentle skin exfoliation. This genuinely completely changes my skin's appearance and is my go to weekly mask. The clay works a dream at drawing out impurities but it's not so harsh that it dries my skin out too much. Once removed (first with fingers, then flannel for excess), my skin is so soft and ready to soak up my serum/oil of choice. I find this exfoliates sufficiently that I don't need a daily AHA/BHA toner in my life. (sssh don't tell anyone).
Oil/Serum.
I rotate between oils and serums depending on how my skin is feeling. If I've used the Origins mask, I go for the Antipodes Divine Facial Oil which is so good that I buy it for family & friends. The oil contains Rosehip, avocado and Vitamin E so is great at reducing redness, scarring and of course is highly moisturising. This sinks in like a dream after an exfoliating mask and I tend to use it all over my face 1-2 times a week, and if I have any spots, I'll apply it just to them. (It also works a dream on more problem & oily skin as I gave a bottle to my brother and it's worked wonders). I apply it in the evening and the next day, my skin just looks amazing. Glowy to a T.
When I'm not using the Antipodes oil, I love the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. This is a milky consistency and leaves my skin feeling glowy (obvs), but it has genuinely improved my overall skin tone and complexion. I'm quite fortunate in that a bout of topical gels & creams as a teenager meant my skin is fairly blemish and scarring free but obviously, there is always going to be a slight discolouration of some sort. But this has really helped. It doesn't do anything in terms of blemishes but is ideal for overall skin appearance. (Also great for the day as it's a good texture to apply makeup over).
Day Moisture.
I've recently raved about the Clinique Hydroblur Perfecting Moisturiser but I very much think this is specific to wearing under makeup and due to the filling in quality, I don't like the feel of it when I'm not wearing makeup. But I love the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. This is very much a cult product as it does pretty much everything and is a really lightweight texture and consistency. It's really lovely if your skin is playing up as it doesn't clog or do anything nasty and is just wonderful when you know you're going to sweat. Weird, but great. It's brilliant for days at home because I hate the feeling of stuff on my skin like some of my heavier moisturisers feel. Love, love, love.
And there you have it. My basic, glowy af, skincare routine. Please bear in mind that I have very normal skin that sometimes errs on oily and sometimes dry.