Switching It Up: Skincare

Although skincare is by far my favorite thing when it comes to beauty (closely followed by the need to amass the world’s largest lipstick collection), lately, I have been a little lazy when it comes to my routine, and so, in an attempt to mix it up a little, over the past couple of months I have introduced a number of new products.  And, of the many that I have tried and tested, some have ended up somewhat pushed to the back of the shelf, and others I have found myself reaching for time and time again.  Number one on the list, has to be the Clarins Multi Active Night Cream, which, I must confess – I ended up picking up along with the day cream following the hype that surrounded their launch. To begin with, both were somewhat ‘nothing’ products – or so I thought. They did a good job of moisturising my skin – the formula was quite dense and nourishing but sank in nicely without any sticky residue, they smelt lovely (like that nostalgic sun lotion smell that reminds me of being at the beach when I was younger), but as far as having the wow factor was concerned, I didn’t notice anything outstanding about the results after use. It was only when I neglected to use both creams (though especially the night), that I started to notice that my skin was craving something richer in addition to the numerous hydrating masks and serums that I had been using. Each time, I would end up reaching for this, and each time it seemed to solve the problem – my skin felt plumper, softer, more awake and if I’m honest, just all round happier than it did before and the fact that I am currently scraping the pot for the last few uses speaks volumes as to how reliant I have become on the stuff.  Sticking with Clarins, I have also discovered within the last couple of weeks, their Repair Booster treatment which, I have decided, makes the perfect partner to the Nutri Active Creams. How this works is that you mix in three to four drops in with your moisturiser of choice and let it work its magic. I’ve heard it described as being a ‘beauty shot for the skin’ which I love the concept of, and with its concentrated formula containing ingredients like natural mimosa - set to target (in this case) irritation and sensitivity (at the same time addressing redness – one of my constant concerns) it works a treat and, I find, also allows your moisturiser to go further when it comes to application – adding in it’s own little hit of hydration into the deal.  There are two other new  Boosters within the range – Detox and Energy, which I have to try but which after finding myself falling for this one so much, I kind of feel like I now need to so that I am prepped for any skincare situation that may arise!Away from treatments for a moment, one of the steps that I have been neglecting to include in my routine lately, despite previously having always been a stickler for it, has been to tone my skin after cleansing. This is something that I have decided to rectify and thought I would try something new rather than repurchasing my much loved Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner (which I would also highly recommend). This time I went for the REN Clarimatte Clarifying Facial Toner as I had heard good things, and I started loving the results even after just one use – who knew what a difference a toner could make! As the name would suggest, it targets oily skin and helps to reduce the appearance of pore size whilst at the same time, helping with the use of Glycolic and lactic acids present, to lightly exfoliate – decongesting and helping rid the skin of dead cells leaving it feeling smooth and looking radiant. And, after suffering a couple of nasty hormonal breakouts recently, I have also found that using this with its Anti-microbial properties, alongside my Caudalie Instant Detox Mask  has meant that I have been able to keep these under control and that they have cleared up quickly without any reappearance. And, finally, what would a lengthy ramble about skincare be without a good face mask? What is in this case – now the latest addition to my stash – the Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask. Truth be told, I have only used this twice after picking it up this week  as a result of seeing Tati mention it in one of her favourites videos recently. A quick fix in order to brighten dull skin sounded like exactly what I needed as an antidote to the early starts and long days at the office that leave my skin looking a little lacklustre to say the very least. It wasn’t until I tried this though that I recognised it as being one of those ‘miracle’ products where by you can see the results pretty much immediately after use. For a brightening mask, I did in fact find it to be incredibly gentle on the skin (though it is worth noting that does state on the Liz Earle site that it is not suitable for more sensitive skin types – however, I certainly didn’t suffer any irritation after use), and with a combination of white clay, camphor oil, witch hazel and aloe vera, I actually found it to be quite soothing with only a very slight tingle the second time I used it (which I suspect was due to my having used a manual exfoliate beforehand.  After leaving it on for the recommended 30 seconds – 2 minutes, I saw a real difference in how much life it gave my dull skin after the thirteen hour day it had just endured. I can see this becoming a firm fixture in my routine and something I am going to have to ration as there are so many instances where I could make use of it’s brightening properties, I will have to be careful and choose wisely! It is also my first foray into the land of Liz Earle Skincare, and so I might have to look further into trying out some more products from the brand. If you’ve any to recommend I would be all ears. Are their any new additions to your skincare routine that you now feel like you couldn’t do without? Sarah x