current skincare favourites

for my first 'proper' blogpost, i've decided to do a few reviews of my current favourite skincare products. These pretty much make up my skin routine at the moment, i'm not a fan of using a huge amount of products on my face as I find overloading my skin with products that are advertised as being good for it can actually have the opposite effect! I've been very lucky in that i've never really suffered with acne or bad skin, however I am definitely prone to the odd spot or two and whilst this has got better as i've left my teenage years behind me, I still have a few go to products which keep those horrible spots at bay.

Exfoliator - St Ives Blemish Fighting Exfoliating Scrub

RRP £4.29 available here

I have been using this product for the past couple of years and I absolutely swear by it. In fact, when I stop using it or run out and forget to buy more I have found my skin starts to break out a bit after just a couple of days. Some people may see this as a negative as my skin is obviously a bit 'dependent' on the product, however I just think this shows that for me it is doing wonders! It's quite pricey I guess for an everyday product but it can often be found on sale and is available pretty much everywhere from Boots to supermarkets so it's worth shopping around. 

The scrub has a lovely fruity yet subtle smell and is not harsh which I love as I have very sensitive skin. I actually use this everyday in the shower as I find it much easier to wash my face properly in the shower and ensure I get every bit of the residue off. The St Ives scrub doesn't block my pores and lead to spots as other more harsh exfoliators by neutrogena and clearasil have done in the past (which is ironic when they are aimed at clearing your skin). I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a face scrub that leaves your skin feeling clean, clear and fresh but is gentle enough for every day use.

Make-up Remover - Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

RRP £4.99 for 400ml available here

For a long time I was guilty of using only make up wipes to remove my make up everyday which often left my skin feeling a bit 'rubbed raw' and blotchy, especially if I had quite a bit of make up to remove. When Bioderma cleansing water suddenly became all the rage and brands such as L'oreal and Garnier followed suit I was drawn to trying this Garnier cleansing water as it was on offer for half price and I was looking for an alternative to make up wipes. I am so glad I made that choice as i've since repurchased this product 4 times and definitely consider it a skin care staple. 

Each bottle probably lasts me an average of 6 weeks depending on how often i'm using it, if i'm going out a lot and wearing heavy make up then obviously I use it a lot more than if i'm wearing minimal make up and not really up to much. I probably use about 5-6 cotton pads to remove an average days make up and just soak each one with a splash of the cleansing water before wiping of my make up as I would with a wipe. My skin feels so much more clean and fresh afterwards than it did using a make up wipe and this product is so much more gentle on my skin than anything i've used before. It's very often on offer, I don't think i've ever paid full price for it, so i'd definitely recommend it to try. I haven't tried the similar L'oreal cleansing water as the bottle is half the size for the same price but if anyone out there has used it, what did you think?

Face mask - Boots Essentials Cucumber 3 Minute Clay Mask

RRP £1.50 available here

Whenever I have a bit of extra time or fancy pampering myself, I love to do a face mask. The Boots Essentials range is not something I was familiar with until recently but there is a whole range of skin care products from washes to moisturisers to face masks which is so reasonably priced (most products are around £1.50) and there is very often an offer of 3 products for £3! You just can't go wrong at prices like that so I decided to try the face mask out.

The cucumber scent gives the mask a lovely freshness which leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and refreshed, all the things you want from a mask. The price for me is the main positive of the product as most face masks are about 99p per sachet whereas I have used this three times now and barely even made a dent in the tube! It's definitely worth buying this mask just to try it out, even if you hate it or it isn't right for you, at £1.50 you can't really go wrong!

Moisturiser - Olay Essentials Complete Normal to Oily Day Fluid

RRP £5.99 for 100ml available here

I've been on the search for a new moisturiser recently as I've started to think about taking my skincare more seriously and moving on from the 'teenage products' aimed at spots towards a more 'adult' skin routine. It's never too early to think about moisturising in order to keep wrinkles at bay as prevention is definitely the main thing, no amount of anti ageing wrinkle cream will budge crows feet once they've appeared! Yes I am only 20 but my mum and grandma have always had wonderful skin and always stress the importance of starting skincare young. As they both look great for their age, i'm hoping good genes and a good moisturiser will ensure I end up the same way!

My mum and grandma have always used Olay products and so that's why I was drawn to their stand whilst having a good browse in Boots. I went for this simple moisturiser as I don't yet need the products aimed at older skin and wanted something light and good for everyday use. So far I am loving this moisturiser, it has a very runny consistency and feels very light on the skin, a little goes a long way. My skin has felt very soft and not at all oily or shiny which it has done previously when I have used a moisturiser before applying my make up. I think this will be a definite repurchase in the future!

I hope you've found this helpful or interesting and if you've any questions or even recommendations on products you swear by then please feel free to comment!

Georgia xx