SKINCARE STANDOUTS

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Going into 2019 I realised I have a lot of skincare! I'm really passionate about this topic, so that's not exactly surprising, however skincare takes a long time to test out so I've actually decided to stop accepting skincare as PR other than in exceptional circumstances or for brands that I really love. Therefore I'm changing my skincare updates to this format where I only talk about the new and old skincare that I'm using every day and really want to recommend to you guys, so I hope you enjoy!

I can't get enough of the Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser* | £18 | full review | at the moment! It contains mineral mud, rose, chamomile, aloe and avocado so - as well as giving the skin a deep cleanse - it's very gentle and feels nice and nourishing on the skin. I've been using this pretty much every single morning and evening for the past few weeks. It's great for leaving the skin feeling nice and clean without stripping it, so the result is soft, smooth, hydrated skin. I follow this up with the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber & Green Tea* | £7 | full review. As you can probably see - I've been using this mist for a good few weeks straight in an attempt to use it up and I've almost achieved that. I really like Mario Badescu as a brand; their products are affordable and they do what they say on the tin! This is so nice and refreshing to mist on the skin in the morning; it hydrates without being sticky or tacky on the skin and has a nice soothing effect.  

Moving onto moisturising products - the next step in my routine is a new find: the Bjork & Berries Skin Awakening C-Serum* | £37. This both hydrates the skin and brightens it to promote a radiant, even skin tone and has 98% natural origin ingredients. The organic beech bud extract is included to boost oxygen flow to the skin and increase its elasticity. Vitamin C is the glow-booster. Hyaluronic Acid is one of my favourite skincare ingredients for plumping and hydrating my skin. This lightweight milky serum has been a great all-rounder for me; it absorbs nicely into the skin and gives it the two things I'm looking for: hydration and glow. I've been using this a few weeks so will let you know if it significantly evens out my skin tone, as it's a bit too early to tell. But so far, so good! 

After that I use my beloved Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre | £20 | full review. There's not that much left in this so I'm trying to finish this tube. It's a lovely lightweight, almost whipped cream that's intensely nourishing without feeling too rich for my combination skin. It smooths and hydrates the skin, making it look healthy and radiant, so as well as being a moisturiser, it's also a great product for prepping the skin for makeup. Finally for my morning routine, I use the Bjork & Berries Perfecting Eye Cream* | £40. What I do like about this product is that it's a cream formula but it's quite lightweight and I like my eye area to be hydrated without me having to use a heavy product that might leave behind a greasy excess. The only slight annoyance I have is the packaging; no matter how lightly you press the pump - product comes spurting out very aggressively! That aside, I think using this has helped keep my eye area looking smooth, feeling moisturised and less puffy and tired in the mornings! It contains a traditional Swedish herbal remedy and raspberry seed oil to renew cells and act as an anti-inflammatory.

Fast-forwarding to the evening; the first thing I like to do when I get home from work is remove my makeup. There's not a lot of product left in my current pot of the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm | £47 | full review | so I've decided to try and get it used up. This is one of my favourite cleansing balms because it feels so luxurious and lovely on the skin, as well as gently doing the job for me. A lot of people use this as a morning or second cleanse, however I like it for removing makeup. You simply massage it in and it lifts face and eye makeup, even if it's waterproof. It doesn't sting my sensitive eyes or leave a filmy residue on the surface of my skin. It just removes everything (when paired with a damp face cloth) and leaves my skin soft and smooth. Most of the time I've been following this with my Pixi cleanser, however once a week I've been adding in an extra step: the Niod Flavanone Mud Mask* | £29 | full review. This is an intense cleansing mud mask with formulated with various clays. The flavanone mud is rich in copper, which helps to renew the complexion, meaning this product leaves my skin purified, cleansed and brighter. It's a pretty intense mask, hence the one-a-week application but it's so effective! 

Before applying a nice soothing overnight treatment I've been using the Pixi Milky Tonic | £10 (travel size) | full review. This helps soothe and hydrate my skin with jojoba milk and oat extracts. It also has a lovely softening effect. I really like this product in general but it's particularly great for calming down the skin after an intense treatment like the Niod mask. I follow this up with the lovely Pixi Rose Oil Blend* | £26 | full review. This combination of rose, jojoba, pomegranate and rosehip oils is so plumping and hydrating for my skin. It's not overly greasy and doesn't clog my pores but leaves my skin soft, smooth and replenished by morning. I also like to use the Laneige Vanilla Lip Sleeping Mask | £10.85 | full review | as my lips have been really dry for some reason at the moment. It has a thicker gel-balm consistency so I apply a nice thick layer before bed and it's been really helping me smooth out that dry skin and making my lips less sore.

Have you tried any of these products? What skincare is part of your current routine?

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Read more posts from this series here!