Confusion...

...aaannnd I still haven't written any articles. The more I research (admittedly on the internet which is not always a reliable source) the more I hear what seems to be contradictory advice and opinions. For example even the way you wash your face is seen as important to some people, you could just splash hot or cold water serendipitously over your face in an effort to get it as wet, and therefore clean as possible, or you could use gentle cupping motions to bring luke-warm water into gentle contact with your face, and then use small round circular motions to to evenly lather a cleanser all over your face. The people who think the latter technique is not all that important or effective, merely have a difference of opinion and perhaps it does not make a noticeable enough difference to the clearness of their skin for them to take such advice seriously. In the first place, who am I to judge, when I was younger I didn't wash my face at all, but I do think if you're using the first technique you are more likely to be a man as their skin is tougher and not as delicate as a woman's', whose skin tends to be far more sensitive.

The truth is I guess, is that everybody's skin is different, and apart from the basics of eating healthy, and cleansing your face every morning and evening, you pretty much have to discern for yourself what products are best for your skin. This is why I think skin care reviews are so important, even if  a persons circumstances are not completely relevant to yours (e.g. different age), they can still be very useful determining if a product would work for your skin. Never impulsively buy a skincare product without researching it first, you will end up with a completely unnecessary or unsuitable product for you, and it will sit there completely unused in your bathroom cupboard for the next three years, until somebody decides to make some more space for some bonjela, and throws it out (as I have learned from experience).

I recently went to a local spa where they use Elemis products, and I had an Elemis visible difference facial, and manicure as birthday treat ( I am now twenty, hurray!). After the treatment the beautician showed me which products she had used and which she would recommend for me to use, which of course she would do, its her job, but I am really weak when it comes to one to one sales, nobody was there to restrain me so my common sense was overcome, and my impulsiveness took charge, I was convinced I needed these products for my skin, and that they were what would restore my skin to the perfection it was meant to be. I did not in fact buy the products straight away, I thought I could perhaps get them cheaper online (which by the way I couldn't).

So once I had saved up enough money I bought the Elemis SOS emergency cream to hopefully help calm down my acne and scarring, and the Elemis Absolute eye serum to try and get rid of the ominous dark half moons that are permanently stuck beneath my eyes. I really like both these products, Though the SOS cream was very expensive it is quite large so it should last a long time, however I have to be careful when I apply the SOS cream right before bed as I either apply to much, or it does not absorb very well, and so I end up with a sticky pillow, but overall when I have used it the night before I can see a significant fading in the appearance of my scarring the next morning, it hasn't yet gotten rid of it completely but who knows It could in the future (I class my acne scarring as low to medium, so I still sort of believe it can disappear without laser treatment).

The absolute eye serum also seems to work well the morning after I had applied it the night before, however after I have put it on in the morning, and I attempt to put my make-up on (bb-cream) over the top of it, for some reason it turns into dry peeling patches that rub off when you touch them. I think therefore I will just switch to using it at night time, since I'm wasting it putting it on in the day, and use a different eye cream for mornings.




In conclusion I do not really regret these purchases, the beautician from the spa was right in that they are suitable products for my skin, and they do their job quite well, but they were very expensive products, for the small amount of disappointment I felt in the fact that they have not yet cured me eternally from dark circles around my eyes, or cleared up my skin completely from spots and scarring. In other words I could have been more patient and shopped around a bit more for something cheaper before being completely sold on these products, even if the reviews for both of them were great, my bank account really can't afford such recklessness.

My Skincare Products

First of all, this is my first post so welcome to my blog!


I was not always interested in my looks, in fact before I hit puberty I only took a bath once a fortnight, I never brushed or combed my hair, and never washed my face. Call this bad parenting on my mothers part, but in reality I was stubborn kid, things like hygiene just didn't occur to me, being out playing with my friends was my priority, which is the way it should be for a kid, but when I did eventually hit puberty I was cruelly smitten by that force of evil that is 'acne'. Moreover a holiday in Florida left my nose terribly burnt, add to that naturally frizzy hair, and you can imagine I wasn't the most attractive teenager. So over the years I have gradually gained more of an interest in skincare to the point  where now, compared to my sister I am little O.C.D (though she still has much better skin than me-curse you hormones!).


Here is a list of products I just brought and am using right now, I don't usually buy things this expensive, but since a had a little money to spare I splashed out. Here is the website I brought them from they have top notch products (though expensive), and good informative reviews.

This is a moisturiser that is a spray, you can use it on your body, hair, and face, it smells (expensive)divine, and gives a dewy finish, apparently it's really popular in Paris (Nuxe is a French company so..yeah). I bought the 20th anniversary addition- but it's really just the same as the ordinary version, as a moisturiser it really is lovely, though I already have oily skin, I thought I'd buy this for when parts of my skin dry out from other products, and I wasn't wrong.

This is a facial mask,(by another French company, but check out their other products they're really good!) I think I read some where in the wisdom of the world wide web that is it best to do a facial once or twice a week, I took that advice, and it is actually a good idea as by the end of week my skin seems to get progressively worse, anyway, I read really good reviews about this product and I have to say it really did detox my oily combination skin well, two thumbs up. 

This product is the one that does all the work (and the most expensive at £31.50), I apply it after cleansing every other day to ex-foliate, it repairs the damage done to my collagen by the sun. It contains Glycolic acid, which is derived from sugar cane, it's useful in cosmetics between the concentration of of 5% to 10%, this product is 5% so it will not harm your skin, so don't be wary of using it because it contains the word acid. So far it has been an amazing, skin changing product, but take the advice of me and many other reviewers of applying sun screen the next day as your skin will be very sensitive, this product has helped clear up my mild acne and even out my skin tone, very impressive.

This cleanser (yet again another French company- why are you French so good with skincare? this explains a lot about why the women are so beautiful) is the best cleanser I have ever used sometimes I go to bed using nothing else but this cleanser it's that good, the first time I used it I noticed an instant change, my skin was softer, less irritated, not to dry or oily, it is quite literally genius.

 

Out of all the products I brought this is the only one I'm not that keen on, I had read mixed reviews about it, but had heard it was apparently good for reducing acne scars (which I have a little of from my early teens), it did reduce the scarring a little but seems to do precious little else, but I probably haven't used it long enough or consistently enough to justify that statement, so I shall try again and we shall see.