My Evening Skincare Routine (+ My First Youtube Video!)

MY SKIN

As I’ve written before, I have oily skin and have been dealing with acne since I was 11 years old. It started with small little bumps on my forehead (which I used to cover with a ridiculous emo fringe, haha), then slowly made its way to my cheeks. My acne hit an all time low when I was 14- my entire cheeks where covered in red, painful sores and I was too afraid to leave the house without any makeup on my face, in case people started laughing at me. I don’t think I’ve ever been so insecure about anything in my life. When you’re 14, life isn’t exactly easy, and even though this might sound a little bit over the top, I had to deal with a lot of things. My self-esteem was practically non-existent and in the evenings I used to cry because I felt so ugly- I felt like I was my acne. I remember thinking ‘I would be the happiest girl if my acne just went away’ and hoping that when I woke up the next day, it would have just magically disappeared. It didn’t.

So after about a year of having to deal with angry, red lumps on my skin, I literally begged my mum to put me on birth control. My doctor told me that it would clear up my acne a lot, and it did. I was so happy. It wasn’t completely gone, but it had calmed down and I was so grateful for that.

My skin cleared up but I still had a few breakouts every now and then. I was pretty content with my skin, until about two years ago. I had just finished high school and was getting ready to go to uni, when my skin started freaking out again. I don’t know if it was stress, hormonal changes or just being in a different environment (I moved to uni), but I started getting horrible hormonal breakouts on my cheeks. It was at its worst in November 2012- I kept telling myself that it wasn’t so bad, that it would go away and that there were people who have much worse acne, but looking back at pictures I took of my skin around that time, it was really, really bad. So I did what I always wanted to do: I went on acne medication. I started medication in February 2013 and had to take it for three months straight. I also got a prescription acne cream which totally burned off my skin, but it helped. After about a week I already started seeing results, and after two weeks, my skin was completely clear! I couldn’t believe it, because I couldn’t remember the last time my skin was completely clear. So a few months went by, and then in September, it came back. I think it was a combination of hormonal changes and using the wrong products (NEVER use Origins products if you have sensitive skin and suffer from acne- the essential oils in them will make your acne even worse. I know, I bought a lot of Origins products last summer and even posted about them and said that they were incredible –which they were, initially- but after a few weeks my skin went CRAZY). So I went on the same medication. It went away, again. My skin cleared up for a few months. So now I don’t really have acne anymore, just the casual breakouts that I try to keep in control with a simple skincare routine, targeted at sensitive skin.

My skin is also pretty oily. I used to use products that would dry my skin out, but those resulted in my skin producing even more oil. So now I opt for a mattifying product in the mornings, and restore the hydration in my skin with a more nourishing product at night, to balance things out.     

CLEANSING

I always double cleanse to make sure all of the makeup and dirt is removed, before I continue my skincare routine. I first use a micellar water to take off my lip and eye makeup. At the moment, I’m using Bioderma Sensibio H20, which is a true blogger favourite. I think most other micellar waters are the same though, I’m not really picky when it comes down to them. I really want to try the Garnier micellar water next though, since it’s much cheaper than the Bioderma one and they basically do the same thing.

After that, I remove my face makeup. For this step, I use an oil or a balm. I really like the feeling of cleansing your face with an oil. Even though my skin is oily, I find that using an oil or balm cleanser balances my skin out more and doesn’t make my skin feel dehydrated. My skin feels really nourished and soft afterwards, not dry like you get with some other makeup removers. At the moment, I’m using the Body Shop’s Camomille Silky Cleansing Oil. It’s really amazing and I couldn’t recommend it enough. It doesn’t irritate the skin, doesn’t leave an oily residue but still leaves the skin really soft, supple and hydrated. It doesn’t have a strong scent and as far as I know, doesn’t really contain any irritating ingredients.

I always follow up with a milk or gel cleanser. At the moment I’m using a cleansing milk, and I always tend to opt for cleansers targeted at sensitive skin. My current favourite milk cleanser is the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo Cleanser. It’s nothing really fancy- just a simple cleanser, which does the job really well and I love using it.

TONING

I always tone after cleansing, to restore the pH balance of my skin and to prepare it for any following treatments. I tend to avoid toners that really dry out the skin, and tend to look for toners that have a few extra properties, like a little bit of exfoliation or toners that give that extra boost of hydration. The current toner I’m using is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Lotion with Micro-Exfoliating properties. This contains citric acid and salicylic acid, which exfoliate the skin and gets rid of dead skin cells. I’m not quite sure about this toner; it contains a lot of alcohol, which isn’t really good for the skin. It doesn’t dry out my skin, but I’m still looking for another toner.

TREATMENTS + MOISTURISER

I always make sure to use an eye cream. I’m only 19 years old, but I’m terrified of getting little wrinkles underneath my eyes, so I always make sure to moisturize the under-eye area. I don’t use an anti aging treatment, just a cooling eye cream to reduce puffiness and give a little bit of hydration to the skin. I’m currently using the Lierac Dioptigel, which is really gentle and feels amazing.

My treatment/moisturizer is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo. I really, really love this. It’s targeted at acne-prone skin and aims to declog the pores and purify the skin. At first I thought this was breaking me out even more, but now I’ve been using it for a few weeks I definitely see a difference in my skin. It really helps to keep my acne under control. Sometimes it does feel like it’s burning my skin a little though, but because I apply a soothing moisturizer afterwards it’s not too bad.

The moisturizer I use after that is the La Roche-Posay Toleriane moisturiser. It’s just a really simple moisturizer which doesn’t contain any fancy ingredients, but it’s super soothing and my skin feels really velvety and smooth after I’ve applied this. I just massage this into the skin. I really like this moisturizer, it helps to keep my skin in check and I will definitely repurchase it, like the most products in my skincare routine.

EXTRA’s

I thought I would include two little extra products I always use after completing my skincare routine. The first thing I use is a lip balm, and I always make sure to have a little pot of the Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm on hand. When I first started using this, I thought the texture was quite weird. It’s a really stiff lip balm, and you need to use the heat of your fingers to warm it up and make it melt. This might be a little bit weird at first, but after you’ve gotten used to that, it is literally amazing.  It is the best lip balm I’ve ever tried; I love the texture, the scent, the packaging, just everything about this product. My lips feel super hydrated in the morning and I will always, always repurchase this.

I also use a hand cream. I own a ton of hand creams, because my hands tend to get really dry at times. At the moment I’m loving the Body Shop Wild Rose hand cream. It’s actually aimed at mature skin, to help with wrinkles and sunspots on your hands. It contains SPF 15, which is really nice because we often forget to apply sunprotection to our hands, which can result in premature aging of the skin on our hands. I love rose scented products, and this hand cream sinks into the skin immediately. I hate having sticky hands after applying a hand cream, so that definitely makes this a winner.

I only filmed my evening skincare routine because in the morning, I use the same products- I just cleanse with the Bioderma micellar water, tone with the Effaclar toner, use the Lierac eye cream and moisturize with the Effaclar Duo treatment. I don’t use an extra moisturizer in the morning, because my skin can get really oily during the day. A lot of French pharmacy products, especially La Roche-Posay ones, but I just really like them. They're simple, targeted at sensitive skin and effective; what more could I possibly ask for?!

Thank you so much for watching my video and reading this enormous blog post. Please leave a comment with what you think of it so I can improve myself! What’s your skincare routine?

My Everyday Makeup Routine

Even though I love trying out new products and changing up my makeup from time to time, there are a few products and makeup looks I always come back to. I think I’ve found my perfect makeup routine so far, consisting of really good quality products which are working perfect for me, so I thought I should share my everyday makeup routine with you.

The first thing I do in the morning, after I cleansed, toned and moisturized my skin, is apply some primer. I do have very oily skin with enormous pores -dramatic, I know-, so I do need to apply a really good base in order to prevent getting oily during the day and to keep my makeup last as long as possible, as I don’t like reapplying. My current primer of choice is the Body Shop’s Tea Tree Pore Minimizer. I only need to use the tiniest amount of product, as a little really goes a long way. I really like the consistency of this product, as it leaves my skin velvety smooth and mattified. I don’t really see a significant difference in the size of my pores, but my makeup goes on a lot smoother and my skin doesn’t really get oily when I apply this under my foundation.

My foundation and concealer of choice have been featured on the blog before. I dabble in and out of foundations and concealers; I’m not really one to constantly repurchase a product when I run out of it, because I like to try new products with different formulas from time to time. This, however, is my third bottle of the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light foundation and my second one of the Double Wear concealer. I find myself always coming back to the Double Wear range, as it really is quite amazing. I don’t like the normal Double Wear foundation, as it smells and feels a little bit like putting paint on your face, but the light formula is absolutely perfect for me. Whilst the coverage isn’t as high as the original Double Wear, I find it really buildable. It doesn’t really have a scent and is much more blendable and easier to work with. The Double Wear concealer is by far my favorite concealer ever; it has high coverage, stays all day, it dries up matte and you only need the tiniest amount. My only problem with these products is that even the lightest shades are a tiny bit too dark for me, so I really need to make sure to blend it all the way down my neck.

I first apply my foundation, using my fingers to apply it evenly all over my skin. The warmth of my fingers makes the product really melt into the skin. I use pressing and rolling movements with my fingers to distribute the product evenly over my skin, then use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to make sure everything is blended well. I use the same technique with the concealer.

After I applied my foundation, I do my brows. I don’t apply powder immediately after putting on my base, because I want to give my foundation and concealer some time to dry. For my brows, I use the Benefit Brow Zings kit in the shade light. I only use the powder- I do like the wax, but I find that it makes my eyebrows look a little bit too dark. I’m a blond, so black eyebrows really aren’t a good look! I use the Real Techniques eyebrow brush and apply the product using light, feathery strokes.

After that, I set my makeup using the Clinique Blended Face powder. I prefer loose powders over pressed ones. They’re messy, but they mattify my skin a little bit more and provide a tiny bit more coverage. I just use a random fluffy powder brush and apply the powder with pressing motions, to avoid my foundation from slipping around. I also apply this on my eyes- I don’t own an eyeshadow primer at the moment, and I find that a little bit of powder on the eyelids does the trick just as well.

Moving on to eyes- I change up my eyeshadow nearly every day, but I’ve found an eyeshadow combination which I’m really loving at the moment. As a base, I apply the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. This is such an amazing product- it’s super easy to apply and the shade is absolutely gorgeous. I apply this on the entire eyelid using my ring finger to blend it out. After that, I apply a little bit of MAC Sable eyeshadow in the crease, using my MAC 244 blending brush. The combination of these two is so so gorgeous; they really complement each other, and it’s such a quick and easy look as well.

For mascara, I’ve gone back to my trusty Estéé Lauder Sumptuous Extreme mascara- an old favourite of mine. This is literally one of the best mascaras I’ve ever come across, as it’s volumizing, lengthening and separating, all in one. I usually apply two coats- I first coat the roots of the lashes for volume, then put on another coat just on the lengths to make them look as long as possible.

For bronzer, I’ve been loving the Body Shop Honey Bronzer in the lightest shade. This is a really subtle bronzer, which doesn’t look muddy nor orange.

My lip product of choice varies every day, but at the moment I’ve been absolutely adoring the NYX lip gloss in the shade ‘Beige’. It’s just the perfect ‘my lips but better’ shade, and it’s so easy to just throw on, as I don’t like to spend a lot of time on my lips. It does have a pretty strange scent though- it smells like marzipan, which I don’t really like, but you get used to it. It also feels a little bit tingly when you apply it at first, I don’t know if it’s because it has lip plumping properties, but it certainly feels like it!

So that’s my everyday makeup routine. Quick and easy, but foolproof. Most of the products I use are a little bit more expensive, but when it comes to makeup, I definitely prefer quality over quantity. Because my skin is quite acne prone and oily, it’s really hard to find great drugstore products. I don’t really own a lot of makeup, but I do use everything I own, so that’s what counts, right?

What’s your everyday makeup routine? Have you tried some of these products?

No-Foundation Makeup

Wearing makeup when it’s 30 + degrees outside is absolutely horrible, as I think most girls will agree. Especially when you’re wearing foundation: it just melts off your face and clogs your pores, resulting in breakouts and a feeling disgusting. That’s why I’ve been doing something I never would have even thought of doing a couple of months ago; I haven’t been wearing foundations. I know. Shock horror.

My skin has actually been looking quite nice and clear lately, so I’ve been a little bit lazy with my makeup which resulted really, really, really, really minimal makeup. Really.

So in order to look a little bit more human the next morning I’ve been using the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning facial self-tanner. Now I’m not usually one for fake tanning (I’ve never even tried a self tanner before, only those gradual ones), but soaking up the sun and getting some vitamin D has resulted in a nice sunkissed glow on my body. My face, however, is as pale as ever because I’ve been applying SPF constantly, so it needs a little bit of a glow in order to make me look more alive. I really do find that my skin looks a lot healthier the day afte rand needs a lot less concealing. Just put a little bit on a cotton wool pat and wipe it over your face after you’ve completed your skincare routine, and done. A full review is in the works.

After waking up looking like a bronze goddess (just kidding, just kidding) and cleansing and toning my skin to make me feel a little bit more awake, I’ve been applying the Origins Ginzing moisturiser. Now everyone seems to be loving this and it surely didn’t disappoint. It makes my skin look even and radiant and gives just the right amount of moisture my skin needs. My skin doesn’t get oily throughout the day but also doesn’t feel dry after application, and the scent is just absolutely delicious and makes me want to eat it. A winner, yes.

So the next step in this little routine is a little bit of cheating, because on days where I do feel a little bit insecure about my skin and want to cover up some things, I use the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser. This is some amazing stuff and I would happily use this every day, for the rest of my life. Check my full review out here.

Now I like to define my eyebrows a little bit when I’m not wearing that much makeup, just because they kind of frame my face and I don’t really feel like ‘me’ when I don’t have my eyebrows on (this just sounded like I don’t have any eyebrows- trust me, I do). For this, I use my beloved Catrice Brow Definer in Date With Ash-ton, and this is just the perfect eyebrow shade for me. It also has a little spoolie which really comes in handy as you can quickly brush and tame your brows, and after doing this I feel like I look so much more human.

For eyes, I’ve only been using my beloved L’Oréal Telescopic mascara. I originally wanted to buy the waterproof version but I couldn’t find it literally anywhere, so I settled with the normal one which I think is just as good. I do believe that they’re discontinuing this however, which is such a shame as it’s probably my favourite mascara EVER- it gives perfect length and definition and you can make it either look really natural or really voluminous-, sop lease feel free tos end any other mascara recommendations my way. You’re welcome.

So last but certainly not least I’ve been applying a slick of lipbalm. Now I’ve ran out of my favourite lipbalm ever, the ever-so-hyped-up Nuxe Rêve de Miel, but I found this Cocoa Butter Natural Lipbalm in one of those natural/organic shops in town. I don’t know what brand this is, but it smells and tastes amazing- like a combination of coconut (well obiously) and chocolate. At first I wasn’t really that sure about the scent and taste of this, but it has sure grown on me and know I really, really like it. It moisturises my lips SO well and makes them look plump and hydrated. It’s not matte like the Nuxe one is, but I do like the glossy finish it gives because it adds a little bit extra to your non-makeup makeup look.

So I think I’ve finally got this minimal makeup thing down to a T. What are your minimal makeup essentials? Do you wear foundation in this weather?

Sunglasses and SPF

As soon as the sun kicks in, my obsession with protecting my face from the harmful rays does too. I’m that girl who frantically carries a tube of SPF with her everywhere she goes and make sure she reapplies every two hours- at least. Now on ‘normal’, not-sunny days, I don’t usually wear an SPF because I’m inside most of the time anyway and I don’t want to smear SPF all over my full face of makeup- ew. But as soon as it gets seriously sunny outside and I’m planning on spending my day out, out comes the SPF- and the sunglasses…

My favourite SPF ever (dare I say that?!) is the Dior Bronze SPF 50 Beautifying Protective Suncare, a facial SPF I bought for my holiday last year and have repurchased for when I’m going to Mallorca for 12 days this Wednesday. It has lasted me through the entire holiday, even though I applied it every two hours every single day, and I still have lots left. It smells AMAZING and really summery, but that might be a problem for sensitive skinned gals because it’s scented a lot. It’s quite thick but really easy to apply and blend into the skin. It doesn’t leave a white residue and it really, really protects your skin against the sun; on the last day of my previous holiday I decided to not reapply it in the afternoon in an attempt to tan my face a little bit, and I got burned. A lot. I absolutely love this product and I couldn’t recommend it enough; it hasn’t broken me out and even though it’s quite heavy, it’s really moisturizing so your face doesn’t get dried out by the sun.

Another SPF is the Shiseido Expert Sun Aging Protection Cream SPF 50+. This one’s waterproof and has an anti-aging complex, penetrating the skin cells to reassure optimal sun protection. Now I haven’t used this as much as the Dior one so I can’t really say much about this yet until after my holiday, but the scent of this is very subtle and it sinks into my skin really easily, which is nice as it doesn’t make me look like a greaseball- which the Dior sometimes does. This does, however, leave a really white ‘veil’ over my skin, and even though the sales person told me Shiseido had changed the formula of this so it wouldn’t look as white on the skin, I still feel like it does.

Now another summer obsession of mine are sunglasses. I can’t live without them and wear them all year round, since my eyes are really sensitive and can get red and watery very easily. I’m never seen without sunglasses in the summer; I even wear them in the pool. Last year’s sunglasses were a pair from H&M that broke a couple of days after the holidays. I don’t particularly like H&M sunglasses as I find the designs to be a little bit dodgy but they’re cheap as chips so you can’t really complain. Yesterday, I came across these three beauties in a local drugstore, and yes, I bought them all. Three pairs of sunglasses. But they were only €9 each, so who am I to complain?

One round pair and two cat-eye pairs, one black and white and one brown. I couldn’t really decide so I went for all three. They all have an UV-filter and feel like they’re quite good quality, which is always good! Round and cateye sunglasses are my absolute favourite since they’re quite unique and can be a very nice accessory to your summer outfit. But even though I’m in love with all three of these, I can’t wait until I can call a pair of Ray Ban Erika’s mine… A girl can dream, right?

What are your favourite SPF’s? Are you also sunglasses obsessed?