Monday, May 23, 2016

The Best Skin Of Your Life Starts Here: Skincare Advanced Routine


It amazes how much my skin has changed from a year back to today. I remember patting extra layers of moisturisers in the attempt to get rid of my dry patches, completely ignoring my eyes and fine lines and not giving a second thought about SPF. My skin was drier than the Sahara desert, and today despite living in a predominantly cold weather country, my skin is much like a tropical forest, hot, oily, humid, and all sorts of weird. Things have changed quite a lot going from one extreme to the other and as a result my skincare routine had to be entirely redesigned too. I introduced products I had never thought of before and really did my research on putting down a good (and most importantly effective) routine and all the essential steps within it. After much trial and error and endless amounts products that were pretty useless and did nothing for my skin, I am happy to have a routine that fits my skin type, takes cares of all of my worries and best of all, leaves me feeling confident in my own skin.


STEP 1: CLEANSER
Rising with water is never enough, a gentle and water-based cleanser is a must to remove built-up oil and the amount of make-up I wear on a daily basis. Remember, when your face is clean it lets all the other products you are going to follow with to work even better! Going to bed with a face full of make-up is a big no-no and I rarely let myself do that; make-up (when worn overnight) can seriously clog up your pores leading to acne, blackheads and all sorts of nastiness. My top picks for this step are the Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (£3.25) followed by the Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water Combination & Sensitive Skin (£4.99).

STEP 2: TONER
Its job is to smooth, soften and calm skin, whilst removing the very last traces of make-up. Toners are essential in every routine as they add vital skin-repairing ingredients after the first step. These ingredients hydrate and replenish the skin's surface and also help reduce dry patches and redness. My skin is currently loving The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner (£9.50).

STEP 3: SERUM
Serums are often filled with antioxidants and other anti-aging ingredients and whilst I am not fussed about aging signs just yet, you can never start taking care of your skin too early. A serum can improve the skin is various ways, reducing redness, locking in the moisture, stimulating collagen production and in the longer term, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. The one I've been using recently is Skinbreeze Brightening Serum (£40) (reviewed here), but once that finishes I really wish to try the Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Revitalise and Glow Serum (£47) which is full of antioxidants and promises to enable accelerated action on the dermis layer within the skin.


STEP 4: MOISTURISER
Morning: A moisturiser with SPF is a MUST to keep your skin shielded from sun damage. Ideally, the SPF should be higher than 25, but if your day cream does not contain this I would totally advise on applying sunscreen prior to your daily cream. UV light exposure is the number 1 cause of wrinkles and other signs of ageing, and we all want to avoid that right?! My favourite for combination skin is Vichy Idealia Smoothing & Illuminating Cream for Normal/Combination Skin (£25).
Evening: A night cream replenishes the skin and restores any vitamins I've lost during the day, which will be absorbed all night long. This allows my skin to look healthier and visibly younger. Night creams don't contain SPF but instead a mix of ingredients that are a little more hardcore. My current one is Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep (£26.50), a night cream that recreates the look of a good night’s sleep, but the Rodial Dragon's Blood Night Cream (£58) is next on my wishlist, promising to tone, illuminate and keep signs of aging at bay.

STEP 5: TARGETED TREATMENT
This may be an extra step for some, but for me it makes all the difference. I've talked endlessly about my dark circles so a good eye cream is a MUST for me. I have not found my holy grail product yet, and whilst I've tried numerous different ones (see here, here and here) and they work ok, I would love to try something a little more out of my budget, like the Colbert MD Nourish Eye Cream (£90) that aims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness. This is also a step to cover any other of my skin concerns like acne, use a facial mask or take care of the lips.


This may be an OTT skincare regime, but when it comes to taking care of skin, one can never do "too much". Like I said, I am not particularly fussed about signs of aging just yet, but having targeted treatments included in my routine doesn't hurt anybody, and taking care of my dark circles is definitely essential for me. Some may not use a toner as the second step, both in the morning and evening, but this too is vital for me and a well-formulated toner can really yield amazing results. 

Tell me, what does your skincare routine look like? What are your main skin concerns?
Let me know below! Thanks for reading beauties and have a nice week ahead!


xoxo


*Post entry for the Farfetch Beauty Competition: The Skin Care Secrets of a Beauty Blogger.  All opinions are my own (disclaimer here).
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46 comments

  1. I really enjoyed this post! My skin type goes through drastic changes as the weather alters. I'm so much into anti-ageing products now. Good luck for the contest, Pam :)

    http://www.rakhshanda-chamberofbeauty.com/

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  2. I've never tried this products :)
    beijinhos
    www.prettyinpinkmc.blogspot.pt

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  3. Resenha maravilhosa amei a dica do produtos ótima postagem,
    tenha uma semana abençoada.
    Blog: http://arrasandonobatomvermelho.blogspot.com.br/
    Canal:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmO8csZDARM

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  4. I definitely am yo yo when it comes to looking after my skin but I definitely agree it's not OTT when it comes to ageing as you really need to take care of it. I've actually never used a serum before xxx

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  5. A perfect beauty routine! Amazing tips! :)
    Kiss
    Luna
    http://www.fashionsnobber.com

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  6. I need to update my skincare routine as soon as I deal with the eczema that has attacked it. I need to go back to using my toners and wipes etc. I need to get a good night cream too.

    Mich xx

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  7. Great tips! :D
    Kisses ♡
    http://www.style2beauty.com/

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  8. I love this post! It is honestly so helpful! I have changed my skin care so much and it's getting better and better! I must invest in a few more key pieces just to finish off! Skincare is so important, no one teaches you how much! This post will be such a help to people hun!
    Fix Me In Forty Five - A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog
    Blog Lovin' // Instagram
    xx

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  9. Pretty much the same. I use acids as my toner most days and double cleanse in the evening, because just like you I feel a great skincare regimen makes all the difference,

    Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking

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  10. This is definitely OTT for me seeing as how I only follow the basic 3 step cleansing routine, but I'm looking to up my skincare game soon. Great tips, Pam, thank you for sharing!

    MAY | WWW.THEMAYDEN.COM

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  11. This is absolutely wonderful!


    ** Join Love, Beauty Bloggers on facebook. A place for beauty and fashion bloggers from all over the world to promote their latest posts!


    BEAUTYEDITER.COM
    INSTAGRAM @BEAUTYEDITER

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  12. You are so right! It's so important to take care of your skin, its never OTT. Great post x
    http://christbelle.blogspot.co.uk/

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  13. Great post with very good instructions. I am also realizing the same thing about my skin, it is already kinda scary how the skin changes! Happy Monday and lotsa luv!

    www.confashiontime.com

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  14. It always baffles me how many are ignorant of a proper skincare routine, I'll admit there are some who are extremely blessed with good genetics and they have beautiful skin regardless what they use but the majority of us are not that lucky. I swear starting a proper skincare routine since I was a young teen was the sole reason why my skin is good until today. Great post, Pam and good luck with the competition!

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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  15. Great post and tips, Pam. That's exactly what I do, it takes time but it's my skin, tho. You can't never do too much if it comes to taking care of your skin.
    xox
    Lenya
    FashionDreams&Lifestyle

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  16. Oh my gosh! How much my skin has changed over the last few years. I also recently stopped wearing a lot of makeup, I try to wear less in spring and summer because it's too hot. My skin is soo much oilier now that I am not wearing any foundation or powder! It's soo crazy! Loved reading about your skincare routine because I follow a pretty similar one!

    Denise | Fashion Love Letters

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  17. very nice steps. My skin changed lately as wetland I'm still a little confused on how to deal with it.

    Lyosha
    Inside and Outside Blog

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  18. Is it weird that I'm liking skin care more than makeup? Am I getting old?

    Lovely post Pam!


    XoXo,

    Tamara - LoveofMode.com

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  19. Great post Pam :-) I have exactly the same routine :-)

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  20. I don't think this is an OTT skincare regime at all, it sounds great! I really want to try more from Aurelia too, just finishing their cleanser at the minute and I love it!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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  21. Great ! I like take care my skin!

    xx LL

    www.lalouuula.com

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  22. I'm always on the hunt for new moisturizers - need to check some of these out! Thanks for the detailed post!

    -Clarissa @ The View From Here

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  23. I liked your routine, dear Pam! It's incredible how we are or were, not giving attention to SPF, and it is so important! I need to buy a good toner this week! I liked your routine and go for the The Body Shop toner, that seems to be very good! Thank you for the recommendation! Hope you have a lovely week!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  24. My skincare routine changes so much but I always use my serums x

    Heather | Of Beauty & Nothingness x

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  25. Great pictures and very inspiring to read about your skincare routine :) Really lovely post!
    xoxo from http://becciqueeen.blogspot.de

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  26. I really need to start using more serums, I usually just miss this step and I feel I need to fix up a little after reading this post

    Lauren x | www.laurenapowers.blogspot.com

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  27. I agree taking care of your skin should always be a number 1 priority and I don't think you can actually have an OTT routine. You should always do whatever works for you best x

    Beauty with charm | Benefit Cheekathon Giveaway

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  28. Definitely trying this skincare routine now! xo, Sophia from http://www.sistersandglitters.com/

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  29. Wow thank you for sharing an abundance of products, your recommendations are always the best! xxxxx

    www.romantiquely.com

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  30. Sounds like great products! Thanks for your tips!
    Xoxo,
    Love from www.trangscorner.com {a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food blog}

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  31. Great post and amazing products. This is at least half hour routine. Need an extra half hour on my schedule.

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  32. My skincare changed a lot over the years as well. Now I use more products, but you can actually see the results. The one thing that I`m still looking for is a good eye cream, damn those dark circles.

    http://www.beautynerd.co.uk

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  33. My skin is so super dry it drives me insane! I love the sound of these xx

    Gemma ♡ Miss Makeup Magpie

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  34. These sound like products I need to start using! Great post lovely!
    a life of a charlotte
    x

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  35. Totally agree with you I believe taking care of your skin is soooo important. Love this post hun! Great job

    BamBam BLOG
    Xxx

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  36. Loved this step by step review! Xx

    www.thefashionfolks.com

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  37. I think I need to up my serum game. I tend to take good care of my skin, and I'm with you - you can never do too much, but serums are something I have not really explored yet.

    Hayley-Eszti | www.HayleyEszti.com

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  38. I usually do a cleanser and then moisturizer. i probably should add something that gets at the last bits of makeup though.


    m.dee | http://bit.ly/1TIz6te

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  39. That body shop toner is one of my favs! Sometimes having a really simple routine helps :)

    Georgia | The Weekend Attic -

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  40. Great post, I wish I had the discipline and patience to complete this whole routine.

    xx Falasha
    Bite My Fashion ll Instagram ll Bloglovin' ll Join the Secret Guide

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  41. Great skincare routine Pam, I need a lot of special targeted products at the moment as my skin isn't too good!
    Have a lovely day :)
    Rosanna x
    Rose's Rooftop

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  42. oh yes, your skincare routine is quite similar to korean skincare and it sounds so amazing :))) targeted products are so important for me too :)
    http://www.youtube.com/c/MissLovelyAttitude
    http://lovelyattitude.com

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