Tori | ALMOST AUTUMN: morning skincare routine

Happy Sunday everyone! As the summer seems to be winding down (sad face) I thought I'd do a few skincare posts. I don't know about you guys but my sensitive and spot-prone skin does not react well to changes in the weather. I have mild eczema which tends to flare up (especially on my hands) with every change of season. For the first in my ALMOST AUTUMN skincare series I thought I'd start with facial products. Finding a quick and easy morning skincare routine has been a little tricky but I can happily say that this trio strikes a great balance: soothing, luxurious, moisturising and lightweight.

1. First things first I cleanse with the Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel, this supersized tube is currently on offer on Elemis' website for £28.50. I apply the gel to dry skin (using dry fingers) and give myself a little bit of a facial massage before wetting my fingers and massaging my skin once more. The gel transforms from translucent to a creamy opaque light lather. I remove it by splashing my face with tepid water and sometimes run a damp muslin cloth over my skin for a mild exfoliation. Am I the only one who doesn't feel like I've washed my face unless I've splashed with water? Well for some people with sensitive skin, using water (particularly if it's too hot or too cold) can cause discomfort. If you've experienced this in the past but like to use water to rinse your face, I'd urge you to give this melting gel cleanser a try. It's fabulous for greasy skin with large pores. Elemis say:

"Using scientific dual-phase technology, this ultra purifying cleanser is perfect for challenged, tired, dull or stressed skin. Skin protective organic Argan Oil, mattifying Rice Silk and purifying Rosemary Leaf are combined with powerful anti-pollution Moringa Peptides.Delicately melting from a luxurious gel, to a rich milk, the complexion is instantly transformed and cleansed, without compromising the skin’s delicate microflora.
The result is a silky smooth and purified skin..." Elemis also state that they do not test on animals.

If this is just a little too pricey you could try the 125ml size for £22, or keep an eye out on QVCUK's beauty pages for a kit which combines this product with some other goodies (these kits are great value and the extra products can always be kept for gifts).

If Elemis is out of your budget at the minute why not try Avène Eau Thermale Gentle Gel Cleanser, £12 for 200ml from Boots.


2. Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic is absolutely beautiful. It has a lovely fresh, botanical scent and instantly refreshes and balances my skin, leaving it feeling hydrated and soothed. The scent also helps to gently wake me up in the mornings! Liz Earle says:

"This heavenly floral-scented, non-drying toner refreshes, soothes and brightens your skin. Gentle and alcohol-free, it also adds a fine layer of moisture.

Naturally active ingredients include aloe vera to revitalise and soften and calendula, chamomile, cucumber and natural source vitamin E to soothe and refresh the skin."

This is a product I have used for many years and in my view it trumps the lovely Elemis balancing lavender toner, £22 for 200ml. It's also a relatively good price at just £13.25 for the same volume. Given the high quality of the ingredients and the results, I'd go as far as to say this is my favourite toner of all time. You can try this product for as little as £5.50 for a 30ml spritzer bottle. I really love the variety of volumes Liz Earle offer their products in- the smaller ones are great travel or try me sizes. See my Top 5 Simple Products post for some purse-friendly skincare alternatives.



Incredibly unflattering hand-shot. Oh dear. You can see the skin around my knuckles is feeling sorry for itself. Anyway, top: Elemis cleansing gel before it's been moistened. Below: Liz Earle skin repair moisturiser in normal/combination. 










3. On to moisturiser, arguably the most difficult of all skincare products for me to get right. Yet, for this time of year when my skin is both breaking out and feeling a little chapped and thirsty all of a sudden, nothing beats this Skin Repair Moisturiser in Normal/Combination, £19.25 for a 50ml tube.

I smooth a pea-sized amount over my face and the same again over my neck and décolleté, using upward strokes. I feel like this product really nourishes my skin. I have rather oily skin so I do tend to experience a bit of shine throughout the day when I've used this product. I have issues with sore, dry skin so I feel I need this level of moisture. Perhaps using the light version on my T-zone and normal/combination on my cheeks would be a great combination. Here's the blurb:

"This perfectly balanced moisturiser softens, smooths and conditions skin for a naturally healthy-looking glow.

Rich in natural actives, including borage oil (a rich source of the essential fatty acid GLA) and natural antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin E to replace lost moisture and help protect against dryness.

Massage into face and neck, morning and night, after Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

Naturally active ingredients include borage and avocado oils to moisturise and smooth."

Top marks for Liz Earle!


All in all, this is a great routine for me for this time of year. I know it's not the snappiest post in history but if you're struggling with weather-aggravated skin then it might be of some use to you. Likewise I'm always really keen to hear what works for you. What's your 'almost autumn' routine?


Images- copyright Tori at Jute, Jam and Joy, 2014.
No copyright infringement intended.
All these opinions are my own, I have no affiliation with any of the companies listed and bought all these products myself.

Tori | MTTM #2 | My top 5 Simple Products

It's that time of the week again- another Money's Too Tight To Mention (MTTM) post is upon us. This week I'm sharing my favourite Simple products. Although I enjoy using a mixture of Elemis and Liz Earle products on a daily basis, I always come back to Simple if I can't stretch to a luxury repurchase. I've been using these products on and off for years and have built up quite a collection. My very first 'skincare routine', aged nine or ten, entailed a mixture of Simple cleansers and facial wipes, and Guerlain toner and moisturiser which I 'borrowed' from my auntie.

Simple say, "With over 50 years experience in caring for even the most sensitive skin, Simple^® products have helped generations of women look and feel beautiful. We use only our purest possible ingredients including multi-vitamin goodness and skin loving nutrients to provide gentle yet effective skincare solutions."

I love the fact that these gentle, non-irritating products are widely available and at such low prices. I've often found myself picking up their products at the supermarket or airport having forgotten something in the last minute rush. I feel safe in the knowledge that these no bells and whistles products will serve me well for the duration of my trip!

1. KIND TO EYES REVITALISING EYE ROLL-ON

 

My all time favourite Simple product is this 'Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On', currently £2.48 for 15mls at Superdrug. I would repurchase this product at twice or three times the price. It boasts a blend of cucumber, 2 vitamins and 3 nutrients and is supposed to reduce puffiness, wake up, and revitalise tired eyes.

I can vouch for it's cooling, revitalising properties and when it comes to reducing puffiness, my mum has found it to be quite effective (perhaps as a result of the cool rollerball). 

The only drawback is that it lasted barely a week when used morning and night. Don't expect miracles but you can't beat this bargain buy for soothing tired, allergic eyes like mine.

2. REGENERATION AGE RESISTING NIGHT-CREAM

Coming in a close second is this lovely night cream, £2.98 for 50mls at Superdrug. Here's the boring bit, the product is said to contain: active ingredients 'that revitalise and restore your skin throughout the night'; 7 nutrients, 2 vitamins and 0 perfumes or colours.

I'm fast approaching my mid-twenties and though this is no time to panic unduly about wrinkles, a nod to age-resistance couldn't hurt, eh? A lovely smooth, gel-cream formula, that's easily absorbed, keeps my skin hydrated through the night and doesn't break me out. Perfect for holidays when your skin is already a bit tetchy and could do without being overloaded thank you very much.

3. SIMPLE KIND TO SKIN PROTECTING LIGHT MOISTURISER SPF 15 UVA/UVB



   

Third up is my pick of Simple facial moisturisers/ sun protection. I've been using the 'Kind to Skin Protecting Light moisturiser SPF 15 UVA/UVB' on days when I won't be wearing any makeup and just want to flounce in and out of the garden. It's currently £2.58 at Superdrug and it does the job. 

This formulation may be a little thick for me but is fully absorbed after a bit of a massage and would be perfect for those of you with dry skin. It also worked great as a base under drier liquid makeup formulations which would normally cake on the dry areas on the top of my cheekbones.

Here you can see it compared to the Simple 'Sun Sensitive protecting Facial Lotion 50 HIGH UVB'. The top swatch is the factor 50, which is thinner and oilier and the bottom is the factor 15 which is thicker but less greasy, not as yellow and more easily absorbed.

 4. KIND TO SKIN SOOTHING FACIAL TONER

This one needs little explanation, the soothing toner, £1.48 for 200mls, leaves your skin clarified and refreshed after cleansing. This isn't as powerful as other toners which I prefer to use on a daily basis but I frequently use this if I run out or am traveling (I love the miniatures you can pick up in Boots).

It's alcohol free; contains 2 vitamins, 3 skin loving nutrients and no perfume or colour. It's pH balanced and contains Witch Hazel and Chamomile.

5. REGENERATION AGE RESISTING FACIAL WASH

Same story here as with the age-resisting night cream- a little extra loving can't hurt. The 'Regeneration Age Resisting Facial Wash' is currently £2.48 for 150mls at Superdrug and I'd say it's well worth it. 

I prefer this to Simple's refreshing facial wash (although you can pick up mini sizes of those for £1 in Primark!) as it feels a little more luxurious and moisturising. It leaves my skin feeling clean and contains 'Green Tea goodness' to fight premature ageing. Worth a try.

Simple is better than half price at Superdrug and many products are also part of the 3 for £5 deal at Tesco right now. So there you have it folks, another 5 under £5! I hope you've found this useful.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of these products myself, have been testing them out over a period of at least 3 weeks, in some cases months or years, and have no affiliation to Simple, Superdrug, Primark or Tesco. All these opinions are my own.
All photos copyright Tori at Jute, Jam and Joy, 2014