creativity and positivity: lush

LUSH VALENTINE'S RANGE 2018 - MY TOP PICKS

February 01, 2018
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THE LUSH CHRISTMAS RANGE MASTERPOST

December 06, 2017
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MY UPDATED SKINCARE ROUTINE

Happy November everyone! It's a new month, and I'm throwing myself back into blogging with a new sense of motivation and determination that sadly slipped away from me during October. I had a lot of fun taking a step back and enjoying the inspirational content that some of you dedicated Blogtober participants produced, and finding lots of great ideas for my own posts over the next month.

Updating my old posts is something I've been meaning to do for forever, but rather than go back and simply add better quality images and a few extra paragraphs, today I thought I would dedicate an entire post to my upgraded and improved skincare routine. In the unlikely instance you have been a dedicated reader of my blog since its creation, you may or may not remember a post from January 2016 where I went into detail about the beginnings of my skincare voyage. Since then, my skin has changed, thus introducing me to a whole new range of products to help combat the various issues my poor face has to put up with - a combination complexion, chubby red cheeks and breakouts being the worst of my issues.

Today I want to share those products with you, and my step-by-step day / night routine to help keep the worst of my issues at bay.

DAY TIME

EXFOLIATE AND CLEANSE

I often find myself with flaky, dry patches of skin that become particularly prominent during the colder months. As a result, I find myself exfoliating 2-3 times a week, with LUSH's Smuggler's Soul scrub, an exclusive product that comes out on Father's Day, and one that I stock up on every year. I've found that previous scrubs have been too harsh for my skin, but the fine, gentle pieces of bamboo in this scrub buff away any dead skin without stripping the rest of my face. Rosehip oil helps repair the skin around my red patches, while argan oil and extra virgin olive oil soothe and moisturise skin, without leaving any residue.

Let the Good Times Roll is my choice of daily cleanser because 1) it smells absolutely gorgeous thanks to the scrubby polenta, maize flour and pieces of whole popcorn, and 2) it leaves my skin feeling soft, bright and glowing. I know it isn't great to double exfoliate all the time, or indeed every day, but this cleanser is gentle enough that it doesn't leave my skin feeling rough and angry, which is an issue I've had with other cleansers. It's also turned out great at keeping my spots at bay, which is another issue that has been difficult to resolve.

MASKS

I'm fond of a good sheet mask from time to time, especially in the weeks leading up to shark week, when my skin seems to have a mind of its own. My favourite by far, is the tea tree skin soothing mask from TonyMoly. Tea tree oil is great for helping to tighten the skin, as well as having antiseptic properties that combat problematic skin. I love the smell of this mask, and how great the leftover moisture is for leaving my skin feeling pampered, tight and cleansed.

Alternatively, I also adore LUSH's Mask of Magnaminty mask, which has been hailed many a time as an essential in every blogger's skincare routine. It's pretty much perfect for any skin type, with honey moisturising the skin, as peppermint oil tones and brightens. There are also little aduki beans and evening primrose seeds to help gently scrub the skin too. I like to use it all over my face in the morning, or as a quick fix spot treatment when breakouts burst through the surface of my skin.

TONER

I've tried every single LUSH toner, and Eau Roma Water is by far my favourite. With a delicate floral smell comprised of a rose water and lavender water base, it's gentle, light and great for calming irritated skin, leaving the face with a gentle glow. It isn't as strong, or toning as the other toners on offer, but it leaves my skin feeling like it has been caressed by vegan angels.

MOISTURISER AND PRIMER

One stark contrast between my previous skincare routine and my current routine, is my change in moisturisers. I found my previous one to be far too heavy for my skin, and the biggest contributor to my oily complexion. Despite leaving my skin feeling soft, it clogged my pores and took an eternity to dry in, so I made the switch to Celestial moisturiser. A cocoa butter based product that helps soothe my dry skin, despite it's heavy, gloopy appearance. Almond oil hydrates and protects the skin due to its vitamin E content, as vanilla water adds a sweet scent that compliments LTGTR perfectly. A little bit of this moisturiser goes a long way.

I've frequently talked about my love of Magical Moringa primer, so I won't go into it again in too much detail. But I do want to point out that it is fantastic for keeping my make up in place all day, and helping to mattify and absorb any excess moisturiser, while simultaneously soothing any irritated patches of skin.

NIGHT TIME

I used to be quite lax with my night-time routine, but as my grandmother likes to constantly remind me, I'm getting older (I'm only 20, I know. I don't know what age she thinks I am) and I really should spend time looking after my skin as best as I can.

I wear a lot of make-up, so I need a fairly heavy duty cleanser to help remove make up, and also look after my skin whilst doing so. Enter Ultrabland, a cleanser that has been a staple in my routine since I began to get into skincare. It has long been praised as the LUSH "desert island product," and after bearing witness to the huge difference it has made to the appearance of my skin, it's easy to see why. With almond oil, rose water and honey, it cleanses, soothes and moisturises the skin as it removes all traces of make up. It does leave a little bit of residue on the skin, but I don't actually mind, as it eventually sinks into the skin overnight.

After a particularly stressful day, I like to spend my evenings with Birth of Venus jelly mask on my face (although not if I've used a face mask earlier in the day, obviously). With a fresh, clean smell, lavender and rose calm and soothe the skin, as sea water tones and refreshes. It's been fantastic to restore the balance to my skin, leaving it feeling soft and looking less red too.

Finally, I use Full of Grace serum bar as an overnight serum. A tiny product packed full of vitamins and minerals from portobello mushrooms that help to protect the skin, chamomile blue and calamine calm the skin and control shine as murumuru butter moisturises the skin. If I forget this step of my skincare routine, I can always tell in the morning; my skin will look rough and red, compared to how smooth and soft it feels when I do use it.

Are you dedicated to your skincare routine? Or are you more of a water and soap person? What's one product your skin cannot live without? Let me know, I'd love to try more products!

I hope you enjoyed reading, and I promise I'll try to be more consistent with my content this month!

Until next time,

Rachel x