Moisturizers + Look Of The Day

Fourth post in my 7 days of skincare is all about moisturizers! Now that our skin is squeaky clean it is ready for some moisture. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got dry, oily or combination skin. You still need to moisturize. Just like I mentioned in my first skincare post that there are many factors responsible for our skin condition. This means it changes throughout the seasons and needs different care.

To find out what your skin type is you need to observe it. I found this simple test that you can take to determine what your skin type is. Also, do not try a few new products at once. Introduce one new product into your routine and check your skin daily for improvements/worsening. If the product doesn’t do anything then ditch it! There isn’t any other way but try something to find out if it’s working in our favour. 

So this is what my skin is like and what I use:

Winter – this year has been very mild in the UK. I don’t have any major dryness going on but I do need to use something ‘heavier’ than normal. During the night our whole body rests and so is our skin. It relaxes and does not have to face any challenges like wind or low temperature. It is time for a nice moisture boost :) For that purpose I am using Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer. I wake up each morning with super soft skin without that heavy, oily feeling.
For daytime I have chosen La Roche-Posay Anti-Redness Rosaliac. My face looks like I have been slapped a few times when it meets very low or very high temperatures. This moisturizer has been very good at keeping that redness at bay. It has a green tint to it which neutralizes the redness and calming effect on the skin.

Summer – that time of the year my skin becomes oily on the T zone. Last year I have been using Bioderma Anti-Shine fluid in the mornings. I found it really stops the shine coming through. Some mattifying creams can dry your skin out so look for one that also moisturizes.

I’ve also been using Aveeno Positively Radiant. It is light but gives a bit of extra moisture during the night time. It does have some shiny particles in it so I am not keen on using it at night. I am still on a look out for a good night time moisturizer for summer. It has to be something that will hydrate but is still light in texture. 

I purchased Clarins Daily Energizer Cream at the airport last year but didn’t use it yet! I will give it go in the spring time to see if it can bring that radiant, fresh glow that skin lacks in the winter.


Outfit and make-up of the day:

Today I wore skirt from Primark I posted about here. I paired it with a simple white top (a bit see thru but oh well!), nude flats and Top Shop Cardigan. I didn’t wear this Cardi for ages. It’s really chunky and it doubles up as a coat on milder days. Please ignore extra shiny tights! I promise they do not look like that in real life :D

Excuse the blurry pic - not sure what's happened.

I used eyeshadow palette from Rimmel 002 Smokey Brun I got as a gift from a lovely friend. It’s got some right up my alley toupe-y, mink-y colours. I created this look following instructions at the back using sponge applicator that came with it and angled shader brush. I wouldn’t think of doing it that way myself. I think it came out lovely. I have to say it did look neater in real life, for some reason my camera always makes it look like the shadow is all over the place.

Sylwia x

Skin Cleansing + Mini Nail Polish Haul

I consider cleansing being something totally different than make-up removing. It should be a process which gets rid of all dirt, sebum, and dead skin cells from our pores. Like with any other thing there are many ways to cleanse. Some people swear by Clarisonic but at £120 price I can’t risk “try it out and see if it’s any good” experiment. According to many specialists Hot Cloth Cleansing is a second best alternative to Clarisonic. And that is my chosen method.

Currently I own three Hot Cloth Cleansers. Obviously I don’t need them all (one at a time is just fine) but I couldn’t wait for one to finish to buy and try another one :) Another reason for having all three at the same time was to give you a good review/comparison. I have been meaning to do so but when it came to thinking about differences between them I didn’t really notice many.
I enjoy the scent in all of these products, each different but all subtle and relaxing. Consistency varies, some being a bit thicker than the others but all have that nice soft, creamy feel to it and are easy to spread on the face.

Superdrug Vitamin E Cleanser £3.99 200ml
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish £12.25 100ml
Soap&Glory Fab Pore £10 100ml

Even thou all of the above came with a muslin cloth,  I do recommend getting a few more separately. You can only use a muslin cloth once or twice before bacteria starts to live on it. I myself bought pack of 10 on ebay but Liz Earle sells them too.

The idea is to spread the cleanser on your face, eyes and neck after removing make-up and gently rub it in for about a minute. Rinse the cloth in hot water, wring it out and polish off (again, gently!) the cream. Then splash your face with cool water to close the pores.

I love this cleansing method and condition of my skin improved since using it. Muslin cloth removes dead skin cells so I don't feel the need to exfoliate. Remember that our skin is working full time producing sebum and new skin cells. We can’t treat it well for a week, see good results and expect it to stay looking like that forever. It needs constant attention if we want it to behave good :)

What I just described is my night time cleansing routine. I don’t do it in the morning as I don’t feel my skin needs it. Unless you’ve got very oily skin you probably don’t need it either.
Just use something delicate (I currently use Cetaphil)to freshen up the skin and wash off oil produced by the skin during the night.


Book reading update:

I have finished reading “Serial Killers” by Rodney Castleden. You’re probably wondering why on earth I would want to read that?! Well… aside from poor editing it is very interesting book. If you’ve ever been a fun of Crime and Forensics programs on Discovery channel you will enjoy this book. It isn’t gruesome but it describes how serial killers childhood looked like and what triggered them to kill. It is fascinating to read how police managed to catch them or failed to do so.

I have moved on to something lighter now. I bought “Look at me” by Jennifer Egan for just £1 during Amazon’s 7 days of Kindle. Has anyone read this? If yes, any good thoughts?
This is first book I am reading on my kindle and I am amazed. Althou nothing can replace the feel of a real book; Kindle is so much more comfortable to hold. Plus a dictionary option amazes me! Just highlight a word and see what it means! So handy!

Onto the fun stuff:

Yes, I bought more nail polish. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if one of them wasn’t nude! I don’t know what it is but I am always drawn into the nude shades. It probably means I am boring… never mind, I love nude polish all the same. Perhaps the fact that other two are glitter will counteract the nude one :)

Essie Brooch The Subject - the nude one!
Essie Set in Stone - I loved A Cut Above some much I had to get this!
China GLaze Some Like It Haute - Oh so pretty!

This evening I will be glittering my nails - YAY!

Hope you have a great week darlings!

Sylwia x