For the love of skincare

Somehow, I made it to the grand old age of 24, using only cheap face washes and calling it a skincare routine. I would wash my face once a day to take my makeup off and that would be the end of any kind of cleansing/toning or moisturising.

Surprisingly, I was never one to suffer with acne or blemished skin and never looked terrible without foundation on, but I can’t say my face felt overly clean.

While my bank account begged me to stick to this lazy routine, I stumbled across a YouTube video of DollyBowBow using Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish followed by the spritz tonic. There was something about the light and refreshing look of that tonic spray that made me go and buy it.

For anyone who uses Liz Earle, the range of products available makes it so difficult to leave with just a cleanser, and so, I bought the Cleanse and Polish, the Instant Boost spritzer and the Skin Repair Light moisturiser – all for about £45 which was the most I had ever spent on skincare.

Low and behold, a revelation was about to happen. I LOVE SKINCARE. I’m now a hoarder and can’t help but buy any brand that I see on offer.

As it was the guidance of a blogger that opened my eyes to Liz Earle, I thought I should write a short review on some of my favourite products that I’ve discovered over the last couple of years.

1.       Liz Earle, Cleanse & Polish - £15.50 (starter kit)

If you’re looking for something fresh, awakening and clean-feeling, you won’t be disappointed with this product. The smell reminds me of baby powder mixed with fresh air and clean laundry, it’s lovely and refreshing but not overpowering. For the first few months of using this product, I constantly had spots coming up on my t-zone, which slightly put me off but after a short break from the product, the spots have gone and never returned upon using it again. Used with muslin cloths, you control the level of exfoliation but make sure you regularly wash the cloths for the cleanest skin. I used this product every morning and night.

2.       Liz Earle, Skin Repair Light moisturiser - £20.25

I’ve always suffered from oily skin so out of all of the moisturisers that Liz Earle have to offer, the Light Repair was the most tempting. The smell, again, is just perfect and the product overall does a great job. It didn’t add to my oily complexion but it left my skin feeling soft and refreshed and I would definitely recommend it. I would use this product only at night after the cleanse and tone steps.

3.       Pixi, Glow Tonic - £18

I had never heard of Pixi until Marks and Spencer started stocking it and everyone began talking about it at work, especially the Pixi Glow Tonic. With mostly good reviews, I decided to give it a go – after all, I get 20% discount at Marks and Spencer so it was almost rude not to. I fell in love. Since using this product, I’ve stopped wearing foundation to work and no-one has really commented (result!). I use this product twice a day, after washing my face and before moisturising (at night), and I really do notice a glow. I’ll definitely be buying this again.

4.       Lush, Mask of Magnaminty - £6.25 for 125g or £10.95 for 315g

This product is the best thing I have ever bought, ever – in skincare terms at least. It’s a clay mask with bits in to cleanse, moisturise and exfoliate your face. You put it on, either all over or just in troubled areas of your face and leave for 6-10 minutes. It doesn’t completely dry so you can still move your face without it cracking which is a lot more comfortable. When the time is up, you wash it off. At this point, I usually wet my hands and scrub the mask into my face as an exfoliator before washing it off completely, but you don’t have to! It always leaves my skin leaving super soft and really clean – it’s great for spots too.

So not to make this post too long, I’m going to finish there for now but I’ll definitely continue to post about some of my favourite face products in the hope that you feel as inspired as I did to actually look after my skin. Yes, these products do add up, but I’m definitely open to trying any brand, not just higher price points so please let me know below if you have any recommendations :)