My nightly skincare routine

I've always been more interested in makeup rather than skin care but over the past few months there have been a flurry of skin care posts by other bloggers and I decided it was time to up my game. To be honest I haven't always washed my face every night (the shame) and when I do, it's with a £4 face wash which doesn't cut it anymore, especially as I am now in my late 20s (!!). I've been trying my best to stick to this new routine instead of being lazy and just removing my eye makeup before jumping into bed.


I have a Clarisonic but I don't use it very often, preferring to use a flannel instead. I'm currently using this Avene gel cleanser which I apply to my dry face, massage in then remove with a hot flannel. Scrubbing with the flannel leaves my skin really clean and pink, you can really see the blood coming back into your face. It's not abrasive or painful in any way, just mild and very effective. It also really helped by unblocking my sinuses during the bad hay fever days. I can't recommend face flannel washing enough!

I usually follow up with this Trilogy gentle calming fluid which I received in a gift bag. As the name suggests it's typically used for soothing sensitive or irritated skin but can also be used as a light moisturiser. I hate using heavy face creams in summer because I can't stand having a sticky face! This fluid is almost serum like in consistency and adds enough moisture without being overbearing.

About twice a week I use this overnight intensive mask by Origins. I don't have very dehydrated skin but so many people have said how amazing this is and I wanted to see for myself. I had never used a leave on mask before and it felt a bit weird to apply it then not wash it off. It can be really easy to over apply which I managed to do a few times and you can really feel it on your face but it does work. Waking up in the morning my skin feels and looks plumper. It also smells lovely, like apricots!

I've also given myself a kick up the bum with eye cream. Day or night I always manage to forget. I had been using the Benefit one which was perfectly fine but I wanted to try something different. I couldn't decide between Origins Ginzing or Eye Doctor but eventually went for the latter as I felt my eyes needed more hydration. I don't think Eye Doctor helps reduce the appearance of dark shadows as it claims to do but it's very good at moisturing and soothing. No complaints so far.

So this is my nightly routine and whilst it's not the best out there it has been working well for me. I've also bought some other skin products but will be doing separate posts on those. What do you use in your routine and are there any must haves you can recommend?

New additions to my skincare routine

I am a devoted Neutrogena skin care user but these are the three new skincare products I'm currently using:

1. Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Scrub - I'm usually dismissive of products which claim to get rid of blackheads because they never work for me but this one does. As it's also an exfoliator I only use it twice a week in conjunction with my face brush and there has been a noticeable difference in the reduction of blackheads around my t zone (especially my nose). I feel like it cleans my face thoroughly and I love the zingy fresh feeling - it's like toothpaste for the face! I didn't see a result from day 1 (as promised) but it's become a favourite which I repurchase again and again. Usually £4.19 but I like to buy when it's on promotion for £3.49 :)

2. Good Things Fresh Start Creamy Cleanser - I haven't seen many cleansers on the high street but I bought this a while ago after reading good things (hehe) about the brand. SLS/Paraben free and only £4.99, it's affordable and easily available. Once massaged into your skin, you're supposed to use a hot wrung out flannel to remove the cleanser. It left my skin soft and smells REALLY nice and fruity but wasn't very effective at removing my non waterproof mascara - the flannel had to do most of the work.

3. Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser - Two small pumps of this cream gel cleanser is all I need to clean my face and it removes my eye makeup very well. No flannels or muslin cloths needed, just a quick rinse with warm water. It's got a light fresh scent and my skin feels soft and clean afterwards. Hypoallergenic and designed for normal to combination sensitive skin, this product is rich in Avene thermal spring water which is supposed to have soothing and anti-irritating properties. Available in Boots for £11.50 (200ml) it's slightly pricey and probably more suited to those who like to invest in their skincare. However not much product is needed so it would probably last for a while. They also have two other cleansers which are slightly cheaper at around £8 (see here and here).

[CLOSED]Giveaway - Win £30 worth of Avene skincare products

(Promo photo, not actual prize)

French brand, Eau Thermale Avene are dedicated to sensitive skincare and I have recently been trying out two of their products. I'll be posting my thoughts on the Skin Recovery cream and Gentle Gel Cleanser later this week.

However today you have the chance of winning £30 worth of Avene goodies!

All you have to do is go to Avene's Facebook page and "Like" it. Don't forget to leave me a comment below so I know you have entered.

Closing date is next Sunday the 20th February at 23.59 when I will pick someone at random. Good luck xxx