New Year, New Skincare

Another year, another skincare regime! As we wave a sorrowful goodbye to any glimmer of festive cheer and the temperatures plummet, treating us all to cold mornings and nasty bugs, is it any wonder why January is my least favourite month of the year?

However, positive thinking is one of my new year resolutions, and to put a positive spin on January; it does pose as the perfect time to review my skincare regime. Over the years there are gems that I’ve been lucky enough to discover that work wonders for my skin, and these products will never be relegated from my regime. However, I always love finding new products to use alongside my favourites to ensure my skin is left feeling as fresh, revitalized, smooth and moisturized as possible.

The beginning of the year is always a great time to re-visit my skincare collection as I am rather fussy when it comes to my skin, and so the products tend to make their way on to my Christmas wish list. I do believe that skincare is extremely important and it is certainly an area I am happy to priorities and spend my money on. Even though I can quite clearly see the benefits of treating my skin well, I also know that when I’m sixty, I will be thanking my 25-year-old self for the love and care I have devoted to my skin!

My Lancôme love affair

2016 is the year I make the seamless transition from the Clarins HydraQuench creams to the Lancôme Hydra Zen anti-stress collection (I think I can speak for us all when I say any ‘anti-stress’ product is warmly welcomed with open arms!). Both these ranges set out to hydrate and moisturize. There was nothing particularly wrong with the HydraQuench creams, however I did feel that I wanted to find out whether another skincare brand could offer my skin that little bit more moisture. The Lancôme Hydra Zen day cream and night cream completely outperformed my expectations. Delivering moisture and hydration, these creams leave my skin feeling beautifully supple, refreshed and smooth. I also use the nighttime mask a couple of times a week which does give my skin a lovely, fresh glow in the morning.

Can be found here.

Hydra Zen Neurocalm™ Eye

I may have mentioned before how my eyes tend to be my biggest give away of any kind of late night, poorliness, or stress, in the form of the dreaded ‘under eye puff’. I have been using this Lancôme eye cream since Christmas (the generous price of this particular beauty firmly earns its place on my Christmas/Birthday lists), and I can definitely see a difference when I wake up in the morning. Compared to the puffiness I suffered pre Christmas, this eye cream has definitely calmed down the signs of fatigue and stress. I love it. It is also a beautifully smoothing cream. I use it after applying my moisturiser, at nighttime and in the morning; a tiny drop goes a long way.

Can be found here.

Oils of Life

The Oil of Life Intensely Revitalising Cream was another Christmas gift from Santa and I am head over heels in love with it. I use it intermittently with my Lancôme day cream, so every few days I will use Lancôme and the next few, I will indulge in The Body Shop’s Oils of Life cream. Not only does this cream smell incredible, it is so intensely moisturizing and smoothing. The three key ingredients are black cumin seed oil, Camellia seed oil and Rosehip seed oil, which combine to create a silky, revitalizing cream that delivers hydration and radiance.

The cream also boasts anti-ageing properties; I think your twenties is the prime time to combat early wrinkles and reduce the risk of deep lines.

Can be found here.

I always cleanse and tone – Simple.

I mentioned earlier the importance I place on skincare, which doesn’t mean to say I would only consider purchasing products that cost a small fortune. I always cleanse and tone before applying moisturizer; this routine removes all the grime and dirt from the day, whilst leaving the skin refreshed and ready for the moisturizer.

Of all the cleansers and toners I’ve tried, I’ve found Simple to be the best brand for my skin. The cleanser not only rids my skin of every last spec of make up, it is also incredibly moisturizing and hydrating. The toner in turn, leaves my skin feeling super fresh and clear.

All this for a combined total £4.38 – Boots are currently running an offer on the Simple range.

Can be found here.