Skincare Update

I'm sure I've mentioned that I'm currently overhauling my skincare routine, and after making a few more additions today, I thought I'd give you all a sneek peek into what I'm using at the moment while it's looking all tidy in its new storage which I picked up from TKMaxx for £9.99. They do briliant storage bits I've discovered, it took me forever to decided which basket to pick up and I'll be going back for more I'm sure!

 

As you can see, I've built up a bit of a collection! I've a fair few cleansers on the go; I've been using the No7 hot cloth cleanser for a few years now and I'm still in love with it. The other No7 cleanser is the melting gel cleanser which is a bit of a dupe for the Clarins gel cleanser. I'll be reviewing this soon so keep an eye out for that.  My trusty L'Oreal micellar water is tucked in at the back there and we also have my Champneys cleansing balm, which I am yet to try out. It's supposed to be very exfoliating so I'm looking forward to giving that a go shortly.  Lastly for cleansers, there's my newest addition, the Clinique cleansing balm.

My face scrub of choice is again from No7 and is another product I've bought mulitple times. I use this about twice a week but this may change with the addition of the Champneys balm.  I have the Una Brennan tea tree mask which I turn to if my pores are a bit clogged, and I've just bought the Origins overnight mask for use when my skin is feeling dry.There's also my Sanctuary toner which I reviewed here so I won't go into detail about that, and my No7 day and night creams. Lastly I'm currently using two eye creams, yet another product from No7, as well as my new Origins GinZing eye cream.

I also stocked up on some flannels while in Primark.  I followed the rather amazing Caroline Hirons' advice regarding cleansing and got myself enough for each day, with a couple of spares. If you've not checked out her blog, then I highly reccommend you do if you have any skincare queries. Like I've said, some of these products I'm yet to try out.  I don't like to overload my skin with too many new things at once, I'd much rather introduce things gradually, see if they work for me, then add something else in at a later date. 

Obviously the little Rhino isn't part of my routine, I just thought he looked cute perched on top of my flannels! And yes, that's me in the photo, I'm the one in the grey and pink dress in case you were wondering!

Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner

Toners are something I've pretty much always neglected. I always thought they were unnecessary, and half the time it's enough effort for me to remember to cleanse and moisturise without adding extra steps to my routine.  I'm currently in the process of revamping my skincare routine so this seemed as good a time as any to incorporate a toner.  I didn't want to spend loads of cash, so I opted for the Sanctuary pore refining toner from Boots. At £9, it's certainly not the most expensive, fancy toner out there, but it's not super cheap either.  

The toner claims to be suitable for all skin types and helps to balance skin's PH levels & minimise the appearance of open pores without the skin feeling stripped or dry.  It also contains Witch Hazel to help fight blemishes and reduce any redness.  My skin is generally normal to dry, though I do get the odd oily patch occasionally, so I was looking for something to combat this without aggravating my slightly dry skin either.

The toner comes in a blue, spray bottle and is 150mls in size.  I actually really like the packaging, it's simplistic, yet sleek and doesn't look at all cheap.  It could easily be mistaken for a more expensive product I think.  The spray bottle ensures you control exactly how much product you apply; I tend to do about 3 or 4 squirts onto a cotton wool pad then wipe all over my face after cleansing.   With it being a spray, you can also spray directly on the face (eyes closed of course!) as a mist, to refresh your skin throughout the day.  I'm yet do try this as the bottle is a bit big to carry around all day but I can imagine it's nice and refreshing.

I've been using this toner for a few weeks now and I've definitely seen an improvement in my skin.  I'd noticed my pores were becoming more noticeable on my forehead and nose and this toner has certainly helped to reduced them.  My skin is also a lot smoother and noticeable brighter.  It does have a fairly strong smell, it's not unpleasant at all, it just smells like a "real spa" product if that makes sense?  I'm not a fan of using heavily fragranced products on my face, and I always get a little paranoid when I try a new skincare product, but I'm pleased to say I have had no reaction what so ever.

I'm really glad I tried this toner, and I'd highly recommend anyone to give it a try if you haven't already.  It's also available in a smaller (30ml) bottle  for £3.99 which I'm tempted to pick up for travel.