Firstly, an apology
is in order. I have been missing in action for some time now, but hopefully you
don’t mind too much – house move went well, our first Christmas in our new gaff
was perfect and, more importantly, I have found my make-up mojo again.
I must admit, I have
a confession to make – over the past few months, I have not really been
bothered about buying make-up. SHOCK! HORROR!!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I
have dug my hand into my pocket in Boots just as many time as I would do
normally, but it has mostly been for re-purchases of tried and tested
favourites, rather than buying the latest new and radical thing. I have not
really had the time (nor the inclination, frankly) to get excited about stuff
like that when there have been curtains and cushions to buy and flat-pack
furniture to put together. Inorite, ROCK AND ROLL!
Anyway, that is all
behind me now – a momentary blip in history which I am not ashamed of, but am
now feeling ready to move on to shiny pretty things!
Before we do so
though, please let me draw your attention briefly to a serious subject –
something that has plagued me daily for many, many years. I’m talking about dry
skin.
Not just dehydrated
skin – although that’s something I do also suffer with, I know full well that
it’s because I don’t eat properly or drink enough water (although over the past
couple of years I have been infinitely better at remembering to drink!) so
frankly that’s my own damn fault. I mean the itchy, sensitive, flaky, scaly
horror that comes from all manner of things – a gift from my mother I suppose
(stupid genes!), but aggravated by the environment, air-conditioning, hormones,
you name it.
Believe me, I’ve
tried every lotion and potion going. But now, finally, I think I’ve nailed it,
and I am as happy as Larry. So let me share with you firstly the Holy Trinity
of skin care, in the form of a trio of products by Embryolisse.
 |
| Left: Baume Riche; Middle: Lait-Creme Fluide; Right: Lait-Creme Concentre |
The big bottle in the
middle is Lait Crème Fluide, and it’s a lighter, daily use version of their
Lait Crème Concentre (to the right of this picture in the battered tube,
sorry!). The Fluide is my go-to moisturiser after washing my face in the
evening, taking make-up off with wipes, just splashing my face with cold water,
anything. If my skin feels as though it needs it (particularly after facewash,
which can be moisture-stripping) I then top up with a thin layer of the Lait
Crème Concentre.
The silver tube on
the right is Baume Riche, which is the daddy of all moisturising balms. I don’t
use this every day – although you definitely could – but rather use it
sparingly on certain areas of my face than need a little bit of TLC for
whatever reason. I typically use it at night on the sides of my nose, around my
mouth, and above my eyebrows which is where the flakiness generally tends to
occur most often. This is now my favourite alternative for my beloved Origins High Elevation Dry Skin Relief (which I still love, but only really buy when
there’s a special offer on in Boots – it’s HELLA PRICEY).
The Lait Crème
Concentre is also a fabulous make-up primer, just let it settle in a bit before
beginning to apply your base products. Admittedly it hasn’t managed to tear me
away completely from my Clarins Beauty Flash Balm in that respect, but for
travelling it’s a great multi-tasker, which doesn’t take up much space in the suitcase
(leaving more space for extra lippies!).
So that’s what shove
on my face whenever it needs moisture. In terms of cleansing products, I only
have one that I use, really. It has never let me down, and although I get lured
away occasionally by promises made by other products, is the only one that I go
back to again and again and again.
 |
| Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser for Dry/Sensitive Skin |
If you’ve got dry
skin, be sure to get the one with the shea butter in. There are other versions
for oilier skins which I have bought by mistake in the past – and a mistake I
will never make again (it was like putting foamy meths on my face).
The pathetic little
sponge you see to the right of the pic is actually the main reason my skin
looks half decent. It looks innocuous enough, but trust me – once you start
using an exfoliating sponge in your skincare routine you will never go back to
any other way! This is what I tend to use in the evenings, once I have taken
off my make-up with a baby wipe (nothing fancy), I then lather up the Clarins
face wash onto my face, and use the exfoliating sponge (this one is a Botanics
one I believe) to work it in nicely, before rinsing off with warm water. Then
moisturise as normal. That’s it!
I tend to find that I
only need to wash my face once, sounds a bit minging but in the mornings I just
give my face a once-over with a hot flannel, leaving it on there a few moments
to open up the pores, rub over the face gently, then splash with cold water to
close the pores back up again and encourage blood to the face for that natural
rosy glow, then a little bit of moisturiser and I feel awake and ready to face
the world! (Once my make-up is on, of course!).
Are you a dry skin
sufferer? Want to share any horror stories that might make me feel a bit better
about the times I actually FELT BITS OF SKIN FALLING OFF MY FACE?
Jen
X
NB I bought my Embryolisse products through Love Makeup, but you can also get them through the Guru Makeup Emporium website.
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