My Skincare Routine

Hi Everyone!

Recently I have been loving reading about people's skincare routines so I thought I would share with you my own. My skincare products change from time to time depending on my budget, my requirements or what is popular at the moment. Right now these are the items that I am using regularly.

I generally tend not to stick to the same brand for every product as different brands are good for different things and I also like to have a bit of variety to meet the needs of my skin.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub

I absolutely love this exfoliater. I have had it for over a year now so it has lasted me ages (I only use a small amount). It is quite grainy which I like as I feel like it gives my skin a good exfoliate and it feels so soft afterwards. I have dry skin so I only use this once or twice a week and avoid the very dry areas of my face. It's oil free so would be perfect for people with oily skin but if you don't like rough products then this might be too harsh for your skin.

Origins Balanced Diet Lightweight Moisture Lotion

I use this product twice a day after I have washed my face in the morning and before I go to bed at night. I have done a review so click here to see it. I do find that it is too light for my skin so I have to apply loads before I put on my foundation or else it will look dry. It has lasted me a long time though so I would recommend if you have oily/normal skin.

Aveeno Eye-Brightening Cream

I apply eye cream every night before I go to bed as I like to pay extra attention to the more delicate parts of my face. I have used eye creams in the past which irritated my eyes (my skin can sometimes be a tad sensitive) but I have had no trouble with this. It is a pretty inexpensive product and Aveeno claim to be a natural brand which I like. It isn't a ground breaking product in my opinion but I haven't had any dryness around my eyes since I've been using it.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant

My lips can get chapped very quickly especially in the winter time which is annoying when you are trying to apply lipstick, so every night I exfoliate my lips and lather on a thick layer of this moisturiser. I wake up in the morning and my lips feel so soft and smooth! I have a full review of the product here so check that out if you want to see more. 

Johnson's Daily Essentials Facial Cleansing Wipes

I know makeup wipes are supposedly very bad for your skin but they are so handy and take off my makeup so well! Johnson's are my preferred brand but my favourite type is the dreamy skin wipes (purple packet) as they smell amazing! I do wash my face afterwards so this is just step one for taking off my makeup and they say its leaving the residue from the wipes on your face that makes it bad for your skin. These are really cheap too and usually on a special offer!

Nivea Visage Young Wash Off Cleansing Gel

I have literally had this for about 2 years now and it just keeps going and going. I use this facial wash twice a day. Once after removing my makeup and then again in the morning to wake me up and cleanse my skin. I love this because it's oil-free therefore it leaves my skin feeling so clean a with no residue. It also gives me a smooth base on my skin which is great when applying my foundation. It is cheap and cheerful and it lasts for a long time, plus you only have to use a pea sized amount as a little goes a long way with this product. My skin feels so soft after using it but I have to apply moisturiser after to avoid my skin becoming dry.

This is a realistic look at my skin. I have dry skin and am lucky enough not to have any major issues with spots - but my skin is not flawless, it can have a mind of it's own sometimes! I hope you find it interesting to see what products work for me, I would love to hear what products work for you, or what you thought of any of the products I use if you've tried them.

Thanks for reading!

♥

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick

Hello Everyone!

This is my first review and I am excited to inform you and share with you all my thoughts on this product. 

The colour I picked up was sheer so there basically was no colour to it! I didn't swatch it for you guys as it would be pointless because there is nothing to see, its clear! But I hope you can make out from the pictures what it would look like. You can also get this product in tinted colours such as reds and pinks etc.. 

Firstly this is what the company says about the product: 

"Beautiful lips get attention. They also get a lot of sun. Protect yours with this all-weather, SPF 15 treatment stick. It helps moisturise, soften and smooth your lips''

They also claim that it:
Treats your lips to Eight Hour Care.
Helps moisturise, soften and smooth lips.
Relieves chapping and cracking.
Helps guard against the damaging effects of UV exposure with SPF 15.
Is available in a range of beautiful sheer shades.

I suffer from really dry skin and lips which is what drew me to the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour collection - I had heard many great things about it and wanted to give this a try. 

I apply this product at night time before I hop into bed. I exfoliate my lips and when they're dry I apply the lip protectant. It goes on very smooth - similar to the Nivea Essential Care stick but a bit thicker. If feels almost waxy and is not oily at all. It has no real smell although I wouldn't say it's fragrance free, it just smells like a regular lip balm 

I guess!

A huge benefit would be that it has an SPF of 15 in it, which isn't extremely high but it is better to have some kind of sun protectant on your lips than nothing.

I have woken up in the morning to find that my lips feel really moisturise and are not dry or flaky at all. My lipstick and lip gloss go on much more smooth and softer.

I have found just two disadvantages with this product.

 The price. It retails in Ireland for a whopping €22.50. If you're spending this sort of money, you would want to be getting your money's worth. I love this product but I wouldn't be spending that sort of money on a lip balm again.

The amount of product. In the pictures shown I have used the product a few time, but only a few. So you really do not get a lot of product in the tube, which was a big disappointment for me. You would think if you paid so much money for it then you should be getting a bit more.

Overall I think this is a really great product, and I would recommend it if you have the money to spend on expensive lip treatments. I probably won't be re-purchasing this in the near future as it's way out of my budget but I will definitely use it all up! Let me know if you have tried this product and what you thought of it.

I have tried a lot of the 8 Hour collection so if there are any of those products you would like a review on please comment below and let me know!

Thank-you to all the people who have followed my blog and have left such lovely comments

♥