Clear Skin Routine.

I know you're probably thinking I have enough skincare (I really do) but my skin has been particularly bad (as in blemish prone) recently and I needed to find a routine for the next month or so that will help.
I purchased my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser again as it's a really amazing product which really helps clear up my skin & I've run out recently so it's good to finally repurchase.
I also bought a tub of Sudocrem which is by far the best antiseptic spot treatment for overnight use. For a while I've been using the Sudocrem in the tube, thinking it was the same. I have since found out that it's not the same, it's a cosmetic and not medicated so therefore, a bit useless!
You would think that as it has the Sudocrem name on it, it would also be medicated and the exact same product as in the tub!
If you haven't tried Sudocrem for blemishes before, I highly recommend!

Finally, I also bought this Clinique Anti-Blemish solutions introductory pack for £30 which I think is slightly steep for the size of the products you get but I'm desperate! After cleansing with Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, I use the Clinique Cleansing Foam to get rid of any excess makeup and grime. I like that it's a foam as it's easy to use and quick.
I follow this with the Anti-Blemish Clarifying Lotion, say what you like about Clarifying Lotion (or as I like to call it, paint stripper) after cleansing and washing my face, the cotton pad came back orange which meant my skin was still holding on to foundation and dirt! Lovely.
Anyway, I see that as a sign of a good cleanse so I will be keeping that up. I do find it quite stripping so obviously it's important to follow with a good moisturiser and you will know yourself if your skin feels like it's dry and tight. You may only need to use the Clarifying Lotion a few times a week if you think it's too harsh.

The moisturiser is great, a lot better than the "Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel" which I feel leaves my skin drier than it was. I think moisturisers are better if they're creams, unless you have particularly oily skin (I don't). If you do feel like your skin isn't as hydrated as it should be, you could always try using a hydrating serum underneath your moisturiser or use a heavier moisturiser a few times a week or at night as the Clarifying Lotion can be really drying.

I also use my Liz Earle Clear Skin Kit once or twice a week to help prevent blemishes.

Overall, after one use my skin is a lot clearer! I had a few of those horrible under the skin very painful blemishes coming up which have gone over night! I'll definitely be keeping up this routine for the next few weeks as I think the problem with my skin is that I change my products too much and don't stick to a routine.
Hopefully keeping to these products will give me clearer skin!

What products do you rely on when you're going through a breakout?

Liz Earle Clear Skin Kit.

A few weeks ago I mentioned I got the Liz Earle Clear Skin Kit sent to me which was an absolute godsend as my skin has been awful recently! I'm a massive fan of Liz Earle, I love natural & organic products and her products are gorgeous. We have a store here in Leeds, so I have quite a few Liz Earle products.

The Clear Skin Offer is available online and in stores for the very reasonable price of £20.65
It includes a 50ml tube of the Gentle Skin Exfoliator, 75ml tube of Deep Cleansing Mask, 6ml roller-ball Spot On, two sponges & a hair band.

I've tried the full version of the Gentle Skin Exfoliator, and it's really good. The exfoliating particles are natural jojoba beads and aren't at all scratchy. It really buffs your skin, ridding it of dead skin cells & leaving it fresh and clear. It's one of the most gentle exfoliators I've tried.
The exfoliator preps the skin for the Deep Cleansing mask, creating a fresh layer to cleanse. This mask is particularly good for oily and/or blemished skin as the clay content absorbs excess oils but leaving those oils that are required (meaning the skin isn't stripped of natural oils, and left feeling tight and dry). The thing I first noticed about this mask is that for a clay mask it isn't so viscous meaning it applies really well and you're not wasting some of the product by applying too much. The sponges are amazing, I can't believe I haven't already invested in sponges to take off clay masks! I hate the usual hassle of trying to get the dried clay off my face, and seeing my cloths get all dirty!
The mask leaves my skin feeling so soft and a lot brighter and cleaner. I can always tell a mask has worked well when my nose feels really smooth, as the pores have been unclogged.

The roller ball spot treatment is essential for me, I always apply something to help get rid of my spots every night. I usually use tea tree oil as it's an antiseptic but its hard to apply from the bottle. My favourite thing about this product is the roller-ball, it makes application so easy and the spot treatment isn't visible on the skin which means it can be applied over makeup throughout the day if required. The spot treatment contains a blend of essential oils (including tea tree oil) to fight the spot-causing bacteria.
It really is a lovely product.

I'm really pleased with the outcome, I've been using this for a couple of weeks (only once or twice a week) and my skin looks a lot clearer as well as being radiant and generally looking a lot more healthy. I'm going to keep up this routine, along with a better diet, more sunshine and water, in order to get my skin looking better for summer. I'd love to be able to wear just a tinted moisturiser in summer!

Along this these products, I really do recommend the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, the muslin cloth is really good at working with the product to unclog pores & remove every trace of makeup & other dirt.

The Clear Skin Kit is available for just £20.65 (a saving of £12.50!) but is only available until 23rd May!

Endless Autumn.

Topshop Top//New Look Shorts//ASOS purse//Topshop Necklace.

I love love love these shorts but they are so unflattering on me! I usually wear things that are quite fitted at the waist but I couldn't resist buying these.
They crease so easily though, which is annoying. Such a lovely colour though, it reminds me of autumn colours.
I really need to buy a charger for my DSLR, but it's £40 and I'd rather spend my money on other things (clothes, makeup, shoes...) so my photos are a bit rubbish.

This morning I received a lovely little package from the amazing Liz Earle PR team. They sent me the Clear Skin Kit which I can't wait to try out! I'm going to test these out and see how much my skin improves & then do a post about it. I've mentioned before that my skin isn't great, but it did improve when I tried the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, so I'm really excited to be trying these out! 

New Skincare Routine.

I recently added a few things/changed my skincare routine. Here are a few of my new additions.
I'm quite bad at taking off my makeup, obviously I do it every night but I do it with a face wash/scrub and not with an actual makeup remover/cleanser (cue panda eyes). I'd read about the Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover and heard it was good, so I've started using it to take off my eye makeup properly.
This remover is really good. I don't usually use oil based removers because they make my eyes feel oiled and glazed over afterwards, which I hate. I hate anything getting into my eyes or stinging them, so I'd really recommend this product as it takes off all my eye makeup whilst not being too greasy.
I have blemish-prone skin, so I don't tend to use anything with oil in it but this hasn't irritated my skin or caused any breakouts so far!
The bags (yes, bags) under my eyes can get quite dried and irritated so it's good to find something that works well for my difficult skin.



After this, I use my Organic Surge Daily Care Face Wash which I've only recently bought but I love it, it makes my skin so soft and clean. Apparently it uses the same organic ingredients as the Liz Earle products, but it smells like the Sanctuary's products. I love organic skincare, and i'm definitely going to be investing in some more products from the Organic Surge range.
I think using organic products makes all the difference, I get similar results to this when I use my Liz Earle products. My skin is brighter, clearer and softer. I have combination skin, which can get really, really dehydrated. It's important for me to make sure my skin doesn't get too dry, because it takes so much work to get it hydrated again! I have to slather it in moisturiser and 8 Hour Cream at night.
My favourite thing about this product is that it doesn't make my skin dry and tight afterwards, which is amazing.
I'd definitely recommend this product, if you're into organic skincare products. As I have combination skin (dry and oily in different parts) and it's worked really well for me, I reckon it'd be good for all skin types.

After this wash I cleanse my skin to remove any remaining dirt or makeup. I'm looking around for a new day to day cleanser, and I think I'm going to buy the Organic Surge cleanser because I love the face wash so much. I use my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser about three times a week, and a Nivea one for the rest of the time.



I've recently started using a toner more, as it helps to refine my pores (because they're massive!) and I love Liz Earles Instant Boost Skin Tonic. Again, it's natural and really refreshing. I splash my face with cold water first, and then apply the toner using a cotton pad. I think I've really noticed a difference in the last few days, my pores look smaller and less apparent, and my overall skin complexion has improved.
Hopefully I'll keep this up and over time my skin will improve.
The toner aims to "revitalise, sooth and tone for instant radiance" which I really think it does. My skin doesn't feel tight after use either, which I've already mentioned is important for me.

Finally, I use my Clinique Moisture Surge, free with Glamour magazine. This is absolutely amazing! Did anyone else get this? I use it as a moisturiser, and it's so hydrating. It makes my skin feel so smooth too, like I have a primer on so it's an excellent base for foundation.
When I first applied it, as it's a gel I thought this is going to take hours to dry, but it was dry in seconds and I was able to apply foundation straight away.
It really hydrates my skin and makes it feel so refreshed and moisturised. It doesn't feel heavy on my skin, in fact I don't feel it at all. This is absolutely my favourite new discovery.

I think it's really important to change your skincare routine every now and again, or change/swap new products because your skin can get used to different products, which means they stop having the same effect you once loved.
Can anyone recommend me a good cleanser? Has anyone tried any of these products?

February Favourites.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is it that I still don't know how to spell February? Well anyway, I thought I'd get a few of my favourite things together that I've been loving this month. 

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator: I have an undying love for Liz Earle products, and this is another product that always delivers. A good exfoliator is something everyone should invest in. Much like the famous Cleanse&Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, it is a thick cream holding fine jojoba beads to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells. An exfoliator which is too abrasive can scratch and irritate skin so this is perfect due to the size of the exfoliating beads, it is also contains cocoa butter and eucalyptus to calm skin. An absolute must have. 
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer: The ultimate concealer for amazing coverage, I use this under foundation as I think it's slightly too easy to wear on top. I end up with flawless skin and a little goes a long way. Can't argue with that!
Models Own Nail Polish in Nude Beige: Such a lovely natural colour, I'd never think of wearing this on my nails but it's gorgeous. 
Perfect but not too perfect eyebrows: I love my eyebrows, defined but not drawn on with a Sharpie pen. Eyebrows really frame the face and complete a look, so I think a brow brush, a small angled brush and some eyeshadow are all you need to create a perfect arched brow. 
Fresh summer scents: I love light and fresh perfumes, my most recent addition was my Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh Daisy perfume but I also have other ones such as Chanel Chance and Chloe. They're really easy to wear and just add a gorgeous scent which isn't too overpowering. 
Film Cameras: Getting photos developed is one of my favourite things, I have quite a few film cameras and I think they're wonderful. They always come out so dreamy and pretty. I'm trying to hunt down polaroid film for my polaroid camera. 
What were your February Favourites?