an updated morning and evening beauty routine

Last year, I talked about my beauty routine and over the past year, I've spent some time tweaking it and it now looks like this...

Morning

Because I think I cleanse pretty thoroughly the night before (I may be wrong and I'm willing to be corrected on this one!), I try and do as little as possible in the morning. I don't wear make-up unless you count mascara so I don't need to worry about having the right base for foundation or whatever.

So, I start by exfoliating gently with a warm, damp towel which is then followed by a swipe of the Garner Micellar water. After this, I either apply a thin layer of La Roche-Posay Effaclar K or a thin layer of Eucerin's DermoPurifuer Active Concentrate. Personally, I think Effaclar K is more effective if I'm going through those few days a month where my skin has broken out more than usual (you know, those few days). Moisturiser is then applied in the form of Eucerin's DermoPurifyer Hydrating Care and then I apply Clinique's Anti-Blemish solution to any blemishes that need urgent treatment. I'm quite naughty in that I don't use a moisturiser with SPF but I'm going to be rectifying this soon.

Evening

In the evening, I apply a thin layer of Ren's Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser and rub it in as thoroughly as I can. This is swiped off using a warm, damp cotton cloth before I tone with a Boots' Botanics Cleansing Toner (which will be replaced with Pixi Glow Tonic once this bottle is done). Avene's TriAcneal is applied and then Avene's Cicalfate cream is also dotted on and rubbed in to any blemishes that need an extra hand with the healing process.

Once a week, I also use an Avene Cleanance mask before this whole routine - I love how this mask smells and the small coarse bits in it really give me the impression that it's working hard to scrub out the gunk from my pores and whatnot (sorry, that was a bit of a graphic end to a nice sentence).

Like I said, I'm still trying to find the perfect routine but I think I'm well on my way in the right direction. Although I have read that you should try and stick to one skincare brand, I do think that benefits their pockets more than it will benefit my face.

What does your morning and evening routine consist of? Should I be making any changes? I'm still quite the newbie when it comes to skincare so any help would be appreciated :)

beauty spotlight on: ren

Ren is a skincare brand that plays a large part in my beauty life and with this blog being lifestyle in nature, I thought it'd be appropriate to share why I love and use this brand so much after six months.

My first foray into Ren was the Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser and you can read about my thoughts on it here. At this point, I did a bit more research into the brand and found that they pride themselves on being a natural skincare company with all products containing '100% plant and mineral derived actives' and are 'free of skin-unfriendly synthetic ingredients'. This is attractive to me as I've struggled with my skin for quite a number of years - blemishes pop up more often than I would like and my skin is ridiculously oily. It never occurred to me that using harsh products in an effort to combat these two problems may just be making things worse so I decided to try things that consisted of natural ingredients instead.

Pleased with the results of the Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser, I decided to try out the Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser and Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask as Ren had a 20% discount on the Clarimatte range. These are two other products that have been hyped a lot on beauty blogs by people who seemed to have a similar skin type to myself.

So first up, the Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser. I first started using it because I had broken out on my chin and nose and there was considerable redness in these areas. After using this cleanser once a day before bed, I noticed that the redness and breakouts disappeared on day two. However, there were consequences of using clay - a well-known extractor of impurities - as two under-the-skin cystic spots appeared: one on day three and one on day five (by which time, the first one had disappeared). Over time, the number of spots popping up have diminished though.

Included in the order, I received sample sizes of the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and the Micro Polish Cleanser as I have a fair few scars from some blemishes in the past. I used the mask once a week and the cleanser once every three days instead of the Clearcalm Clay Cleanser mentioned earlier in this post. Neither of these products broke me out and my skin was quite red immediately after using them so I recommend using them in the evening as opposed to in the morning. Waking up the next day, my skin was visibly clearer and brighter and after a few weeks of use, the scars are already fading. Yep - scars that have been there for months and years are now fading!

The sample sizes of the Micro Polish Cleanser and Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask were so good, I ended up purchasing them in full-size once they were finished and using these products in synergy appear to be having a positive effect on my skin in that the number of blemishes have decreased enough for me to keep using Ren. It is enough for me to think about what I'm slathering on my skin and I am now trying to ensure that I only use natural products as and when my budget allows!

Do you have a skincare brand that you are loyal to? Or a routine that you won't ever change?

hot cloth cleanser cleanse-off

Recently, I've gotten into the trend of hot cloth cleansing. This is by no means a new method and it is actually quite a popular trend - you'll see it featured on many beauty blogs. Having managed to blag a free sample of Liz Earle's infamous Cleanse and Polish, I thought I'd give it a go. The reason why I am blogging about hot cloth cleansing is because Liz Earle's offering didn't give me the positive results that most blogs out there say they've experienced. I've also purchased Ren's version and so I thought I'd also compare these two while I'm at it.

The first difference between the two is the cloth used - Liz Earle's comes with a muslin cloth whereas Ren's version comes with a cotton flannel. Personally, having used a flannel to clean my face with all my life, this method was by no means a new thing to me. I prefer to use a cotton flannel as it felt softer on my skin but the muslin cloths did feel more exfoliating and rougher in nature so I use it once a week for a deeper cleanse.

The infamous Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - a staple in many bathrooms across the country and world. 

Let's begin with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Countless of people have said that it has brightened up their skin, cleared up their acne or just generally done a world of good to their skin. I used this for a week and during this time, my skin did look clearer and smoother... At least, half of my face did. The right hand side of my face was perfect and clear but the left hand side... Well, on day two, I felt two lumps come up on my right forehead. Because I had exams at the time, I thought it was purely due to stress but then another lump appeared on the bridge of my nose on day four. And another bump on my left cheek on day five. This was too much of a coincidence.

These bumps weren't normal spots - they were cystic in nature and they hurt. The slightest pressure caused an extraordinary amount of pain. Usually, during stressful times, I'll get one or two spots but nothing cystic in nature. As soon as I ceased using this cleanser and reverted back to my previous one, my skin cleared up and no more cystic bumps appeared.

This cleanser did a good job of getting rid of all the built up dirt as when I toned afterwards, I checked the cotton wool pad and there was little/no dirt.

Apart from that, I found the smell ok (I know others have commented on not being a fan of the smell), the consistency was decent and one pump worked on my whole face. I used the cleanser once daily before bed and like I said before, it did make half of my face look brighter and clearer. The price is on the higher end for a cleanser so I do recommend trying to get hold of a free sample before committing to a purchase. I was offered my sample through an email direct from Liz Earle (I was previously signed up to their newsletter).

Ren Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser - each pump bottle comes with a new cotton flannel.

So now, onto the Ren Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser. I much preferred the smell of this cleanser - there is something herbal about the Liz Earle one but this one smells more feminine and just sweeter. Again, one pump is enough for the whole face and I prefer to use a cotton flannel as it holds the heat of warm water better and just feels kinder on my face. Cost-wise, it is slightly better value than Liz Earle's offering (£16 for 150ml, each bottle comes with a cotton flannel).

Now, what effect did Ren's offering have on my skin? Again, I used it once in the evening for a week before passing judgement and I found that it was just as effective as Liz Earle's version in removing dirt and dead skin. It made my skin look brighter and no cystic spots developed - hurrah! I also like how with Ren's hot cloth cleanser, they recommend putting a warm cloth over your face for a minute or so to open your pores. This made it feel like I was pampering myself every evening before bed and overall, I have no bad words to say about this cleanser.

My verdict? Ren's version has won me over. They were both effective in cleansing my skin but the fact that Ren's didn't cause me to breakout wins; plus, the price is every so slightly in its favour too. Having had blemish-prone skin since I was 16, I'm prepared to pay a bit more for skincare that works and in this case, Ren's Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser really works for me.

It's important to note that with skincare, one thing that might work for you might not work for someone else. I think the perfect example is Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish which gave me huge, red, terrifying bumps on my face whereas many others have sung its praises.

Have you tried hot cloth cleansing? If so, what's your verdict? If not, are you tempted to try?