Winter Skincare Saviours For Those Darker Days

It’s come to the point in the Earth’s annual rotation where I’m fricken done now. I’m so bored of having to make sure I’m carrying tissues and an extra pair of socks at all times. Bored of checking the weather to see if there’s the potential for frizzy hair rain. And bored of having to exclusively reserve taking blog photos to the weekend when there’s a glimpse of daylight.

Enough now winter, e-bloody-nough.

Along with all of these hardships, we’ve had more than our fair share of borderline arctic conditions. And my skin has felt the brunt of it. It’s been oily, dry, breaking out, all at the same time. And this is not the canvas I wish to present to the world.

(I know right, the first world problems are simply overwhelming.)

So I’ve had a bit of a skincare overhaul in order to combat my skin’s mini meltdown, and have joined forces with my mega babe Kelly-Anne over at Mimi Rose & Me to go through our winter skincare saviours. If you haven’t already, make sure to check her out – there’s a subject for everyone, from parenting and lifestyle to in depth beauty reviews. And she’s also possibly the sweetest little cherub out there.

Garnier, Pure Active Micellar Water

I’ve used and loved this lil gem religiously and without fail every single day for at least 2 years. I put the solution onto a cotton pad and wipe over the entirety of my face morning and evening. The formulation is so gentle on my skin, it removes every scrap of makeup and residue without leaving my skin feeling tight and raw.

The Pure Active range is simply amazing for problematic skin, and I highly recommend trying the entire range if your skin is having a tough ol’ time.

My ride or die makeup remover, and I don’t see anything taking the top spot for a while.

The Face Shop, Rice Water Bright Cleanser

I got this cleanser for Christmas and the thing that got me was the scent, Jesus wept the scent. It’s f’ing delicious. Not only that, the cleanser instantly bubbles up once you work the product into the skin, so it feels like it’s getting right into every nook and cranny on your face. I use this as a second cleanser in the evenings to really make sure my skin is 100% fresh after a day’s worth of makeup/ poor food choices.

However, I found that it is a smidgen drying. I found across my nose and forehead it felt a little tight. But if you’re looking to get those oils majorly at bay, this is your best friend.

Another top tip, don’t get it in your eyes the way I did. My lord the burn was so real.

Botanics, Microdermabrasion Polish

I spoke about this hunk in my Botanics Skincare Roundup, and imma speak about it again. It’s more or less a facial at home, the mac-daddy of all face scrubs and the dreamiest exfoliant you’re likely to come across at a high street price tag. The exfoliating beads are so small and abrasive, it will buff away just about every sin you have and you’ll be reborn with baby fresh skin.

Yes, I just compared this face scrub to being reborn. We’ll roll with it.

There will be no evidence you’ve ever had any dry or flakey skin, however be sure to moisterise after and to only use the scrub once a week as it is quite harsh.

Pixi, Glow Mud Mask

15 minutes with this slathered all over your skin and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. It evicts all the nasties that live inside my pores, it evens out my skin tone and best of all? It actually makes a difference at shrinking the canyons that are my large pores.

I use this mask twice a week to keep my skin looking as bright and shiny as humanly possible. Plus it makes me feel like I’ve got my s**t together using a face mask as part of my weekly routine.

Pixi, Glow Tonic

Possibly one of the biggest cult classics in the skincare industry, and with just cause. It’s liquid magic. Much like the Glow Mud Mask, it evens out my skin tone, I seem to have significantly less breakouts and those gross ‘under the skin’ jobbies since I’ve started using this in the evenings after my second cleanse.

I cannot recommend this more, it has a pretty hefty price tag and yet it’s worth every damn penny.

Thermaliv, Night Cream

I went into some serious detail in my January Birchbox review where this night cream and myself began our love affair. It gives you skin a helping hand at maintaining moister, firmness and an all over glow. And it does a bloomin’ wonderful job at it, however, again it’s the smell for me. The love I have for this night cream, is the equivalent of a 14 year old girls love for One Direction in 2013.

Botanics, Hydrating Eye Cream

Where there has been bitterly cold winds, and wearing glasses outside is near enough impossible, the skin around my eyes has been under attack. They’re dry from constantly streaming, and I’m starting to see some lines from my never ending squinting.

I’ve been using the Botanics Eye Cream for the majority of the month and I can see that my dark circles have reduced, any dry skin has been eliminated and my fine lines are starting to be ever so slightly filled out.

So that’s me purchasing eye cream for the rest of my days at the tender age of 24.

What are your skincare must haves for this pants time of year?

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