I have to admit, over the years I haven't been very kind to my skin & have relied manly on face wipes to remove my make up. I did always feel a little guilty that I didn't have a proper routine, but every time I tried a different skincare product I would break out. I always thought that maybe my skin preferred to be left alone.
How wrong was I?! The reason my skin was acting up so much was because I wasn't buying products specific to my skin type. This probably sounds really obvious to most of you; but my Mum has never been into things beauty (until recently), & I only have a younger sister. So, I guess until I started reading beauty blogs it was all trial & error for me.
Anyhoo, recently a friend introduced me to the seaweed range at Bodyshop, which is specific for combination/oily skin - perfect :) So I went & bought a seaweed kit that the shop had put together, I'm pretty sure it was £25. The kit included a deep cleansing facial wash, a clarifying toner, mattifying day cream & a night treatment. You can buy all of these things separately too. The range also includes products such as a clay mask, pore perfecter & SPF.
I'm absolutely in love with this kit! It has to be one of my favourite skin care ranges (I can't decide between this & the Clinique skin care range!). I haven't had a single break out since using it, which is about 3 weeks now. Everything about it is spot on! The price tag isn't too hefty, the scent of the products are really fresh & don't leave a lingering scent & my skin feels amazing after I've used the whole shebang! I really don't have anything negative to say about it, so here are some more of my thoughts on the products -
- Cleanser- I know a lot of people have trouble removing eye make-up with cleansers, so I tested this out. & no problem at all. It removed all of my mascara & eyeliner, without leaving my eyes red & sore. I will add though, that when removing eye make-up I do tend to do 2 washes, just to make sure it's all gone.
- Toner - I've heard recently that quite a few people don't think there's much need for a toner, so I did a little research to find out what it's actually used for. I'll share my treasures.. apparently toners remove the last impurities on your skin that have been missed by your cleanser, toners also remove any traces of the cleanser from your skin & prepare you skin for the moisturising step. I also found out that toners are essential for people with combination/oily skin as they help balance the amount of oil being produced. So I'll definitely be sticking to using a toner! I love this toner, it's one of those where you can feel it working on your skin, like it kind of tingles - you girls know what I mean :)
- Moisturiser - I've always hated using moisturiser on my face, I feel my face has enough moisture as it is. But, I'm gonna put it out there & say this is the best moisturiser I have ever used on my skin! It's really hydrating but at the same time it leaves my skin looking mattified. It's fast drying too, so there's no waiting around to apply make-up. Talking of make-up... this moisturiser makes a fab base for foundation. I find that my foundation applies more evenly after this :)
- Night cream - This is the first night cream I've actually used, so it's a bit new to me. I really like it though! It's pretty much just like the moisturiser, only it's a lot thicker & takes longer to soak in.
I don't really know too much about skin care so I hope this wasn't too basic for you guys. I'm still learning myself :) However, I do know that if, like me, you have combination/oily skin then I cannot recommend this enough. Get yourself down to The Bodyshop!!
Jen xo
