Summer Nails

Here's the thing: when it comes to nails, I'm such a colour wuss. This is to the point where some of my friends will outright lament my aversion to anything other than nudes and pillarbox red. After my exams ended and the intense writing marathons drew to a close, I decided it would be time to treat my nails to a dose of colour - and, boy, did they get colour.

It all started with a trip to Space NK, where I spotted the Rococo nail polish range. The lady was just showing off their new Summer 2013 collection, which comprises a series of bold brights. Piqued by the colours and feeling a little daring, I asked if she could paint each nail on my right hand a different colour, to see which colours would match my skin tone best. Talk about throwing me in the deep end! On went the orange, yellow, fuschia, pastel green and baby blue, and it felt as though I was seven years old again, getting my nails painted in all sorts of funky colours and patterns at the school fair. I marvelled at a) the fact that I'd done it! I'd gotten over my phobia of colour on the nails! and b) it didn't look too bad! So I went home, toying with the idea of spending my Boots points on a variety of adventurous shades of nail polish. It took another few days before I stepped into the drugstore and carefully selected a few colours that I felt brave enough to try.

Among them was the Maybelline Forever Strong in Hot Salsa. This shade is a loud blend of orange, pink and red, and works particularly well in this summer season. The same varnish in the shade Mint For Life was next on the list, and this blue-toned mint green colour made me feel very on-trend, with everyone raving about its high-end sister, Essie's Mint Candy Apple. Either way, this range of Maybelline nail polishes is rather impressive. It does not last seven days, but that's probably just me as I wash and write and type and rummage around my bag all day long. Nevertheless, this formula lasts much longer than any other one I've tried before, and the brush makes application a breeze, given my serious lack of aptitude in painting my right hand nails with my left hand.

Let's move on to the beauty event of June, Charlotte Tilbury's Make-up House of Rock N' Kohl, which took place at Selfridges in London. My first ever proper manicure took place right here, where the most stunning nail design was bestowed upon my hands by the lovely Gemma from Lorraine Griffin. She applied two coats of a gorgeous deep maroon-red MAC polish (I don't know the exact shade, but I think it might have been Vintage Vamp), topped that with a matte coat, and then used a normal shiny top coat to draw dots on the matte background. The result was an interesting yet subtle design, and I could not stop staring at my nails for the four days that the artwork lasted. After it wore off, I decided that I loved the dark red shade from the manicure, and purchased the Max Factor Glossfinity in Ruby Fruit (which I deemed to be similar to the MAC polish).

But of course, my love affair with neutrals will never die. So imagine my joy when I found out that the freebie with the July issue of Marie Claire magazine came with a duo of mini Ciaté nail... things! I say "things" because one was a polish, and the other was a pot of teensy gold-coloured beads to pour on top of a tacky coat of the polish. I'm still dabbling in colours rather than in intricate nail art, so I gave the beads to my sister and kept the polish for myself. The shade in question is Cookies & Cream, a grey-ish pastel taupe, and it was just what I needed for some downtime from colour. Joining the neutrals brigade is the Bourjois So Laque Glossy in Coton Sur Ton, which I find to be the perfect my-nails-but-better shade. It gives a clean, sophisticated look that will never go amiss should you want to have something on the nails in a more conservative setting.

After this whirlwind fiesta of lacquer, my nails became brittle and were splitting, even though I had applied a base coat each time I changed nail colour. I needed a nail strengthener ASAP, and settled for the Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails Nylon + Retinol Strengthener. I haven't been using this for long, but I can report that the splitting has ceased, and that I am optimistic for future prospects of healthy nail growth.

What are your summer nail polish heroes? I would love to add your recommendations to my growing (in colour) polish collection.

Makeup: The Daily Face

Although I look after my skin, I cannot say that I'm confident enough in its natural state to leave my flat without makeup regularly. If I'm in a rush, sure, I'll forgo the stuff, but give me five hot minutes and I'll scramble together all the tools necessary to ensure that I look as un-zombie-like as possible. That's not to say that I'll put on a face full of slap à la night-out. I'm a true advocate of the no-makeup makeup philosophy, and always aim to simply look presentable.

My routine starts with the Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme in 002 Fair. With Vivianna ever the enabler, I had to grab a sample of this as soon as I heard of its near-miraculous effects. No sooner had I tried it on for a day, I was already back at the Dior counter and purchasing the key to flawless-looking skin with just the right amount of glow. Next in the lineup is a combination of Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer in Sand with the Clinique Airbrush Concealer in 04 Neutral Fair layered on top. The Bobbi Brown concealer is thick enough to conceal blemishes and eradicate dark circles, while the Clinique concealer is strategically placed in areas where persistent dark shadows lurk in order to reflect light and reduce the appearance of puffiness. The brows are defined and tamed with a few strokes of the Shu Uemura Hard Formula Pencil in Seal Brown 02 and a slick of Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper in Mahogany to keep them in place. My Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler never leaves my makeup kit, and I team it up with my current mascara favourite, the Boots No7 Fanomenal Lashes Mascara. Goodbye, thin, short and stumpy lashes! Moving on to the cheeks, I apply the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Blushed Rose with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush. The pigment in this blush is rather potent, so I gently tap my brush into it two or three times, barely grazing the surface of the blush, and then apply to my cheeks in a circular blending motion. The finishing touch comes in the form of the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 05 Candy Shimmer. It adds just enough gloss and colour without making you look like a pouty mess, and hydrates the lips like a high quality balm would. 

I find this team of products perfect for every occasion, giving you a polished yet natural look that works in pretty much any scenario. What's more, this makeup is quite long-lasting, bar the cream blush and the lip perfector, so touch-ups are kept at a minimum. What's in your everyday makeup arsenal?

Only Skin Deep? #2: Exercise

Regular exercise helps to strengthen mental and physical health, and few would argue against this. Some people exercise to stay fit, others do it to lose weight or to accomplish some sort of personal goal. Physical activity is personal and unique to each person who engages in it, but one universal feature is that exercise can greatly help with the state of your skin.

Purely from a logical viewpoint, the increased blood flow that occurs when you exercise brings more oxygen to the skin cells, and rids them of waste. It is, in part, thanks to exercise that some can lay claim to that healthy, rosy glow. In a less direct but nonetheless important way, exercise tones muscles, making your skin appear more taut and healthy. Physical activity also reduces stress and the levels of stress hormones that tend to trigger certain skin conditions, such as eczema and acne. As an eczema sufferer, I find that when I stop exercising for a week or two, my rashes get worse. Stick in a jog, a zumba session and 30 minutes of lunges, planks, and squats, and the pesky red itchy stuff fades away. It's not just my skin that benefits; my sleeping pattern and mood noticeably improve with exercise. And, oh, the good things that sleep does for your skin... (More on that in a future post.)

As with diet, if your body is functioning properly and is healthy on the inside, this will all reflect on the outside. Smoother, more radiant skin does depend on this. It is, however, vital to take several steps to prevent your skin from reacting adversely to exercising. This includes cleansing properly after a workout to prevent the bad stuff that came out with the sweat from being reabsorbed back into the skin. In the same vein, avoid wearing make-up when you exercise. If your exercise involves being outdoors, remember to use sunscreen: long-term sun damage to the skin manifests itself particularly through wrinkles. (Sidenote: there are concerns that using sunscreen when you're exercising is futile, as you would just sweat it all off. Fear not, because there are great sweat-resistant sunscreens on the market, such as the Clinique Sun Protection Face Cream SPF 40 and the Banana Boat Sports Lotion SPF 50.)

So, whatever floats your boat, be it yoga, dancing, football, or even a 30-minute daily walk, getting active brings such a wealth of benefits to your body and your skin that I'll bet those trainers are just aching to be dusted off and taken out for a spin...

The French Aesthetic

Last week, the announcement of French designer Isabel Marant's upcoming collaboration with H&M set the fashion world a-buzzin'. Marant's simple combination of urban cuts and ethnic detailing creates pieces that are oh-so-wearable and coveted the world over. Mavens of cool, put-together understated chic such as Miranda Kerr and Jessica Alba are regularly seen sporting Marant's creations.

For me, Isabel Marant's designs embody that French aesthetic, the one that says, "I just threw on whatever I saw first in my closet," yet still is the envy of many women. Made up of a minimum of good basic pieces, the typical French woman's wardrobe allows her to be practical yet timelessly stylish.

This philosophy often extends to the beauty department, where few but trusty staples feature. Perhaps this minimalist approach to make-up is attributed to the fact that the French take their skincare très seriously, which then leads to good skin that requires less make-up. I also find that French women tend to embrace their bare skin rather than hide it under layers of foundation. This whole attitude to beauty translates into a confidence that transcends even the best make-up's effects, achieving that something extra that you can never quite put your finger on.

Alors, skincare. French pharmacy brands are revered in the beauty world, and with good reason. Names like La Roche-Posay, Bioderma, and Avène pop up regularly on must-have skincare lists, and they are reputed for their effectiveness and quality. Even as a child and teenager, whenever I visited a dermatologist in Brussels for either acne or eczema problems, I would leave the doctor's office with a prescription for La Roche-Posay products (all of which did wonders for my skin). The fact that doctors trust such readily available products speaks volumes about why these French pharmacy brands continue to be so popular.

When it comes to make-up, less is definitely more. Surely nothing looks more chic than a barely-there base and a slick of red lipstick. All you really need for complexion is a tinted moisturiser or sheer base, such as the Becca Luminous Skin Colour and Shu Uemura Stage Performer Instant Glow. If need be, conceal blemishes and dark circles, but be sure to use concealer minimally. Frame your eyes and face by defining your eyebrows with the Shu Uemura Hard Formula Hard 9 Eyebrow Pencil (costs a bomb, but gives the most natural definition to the brows by only adding pigment where it interacts with the oils on your eyebrows. 2 words: Holy. Grail.) Finish off with one coat of your favourite mascara; I'm currently alternating between the L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara and the No. 7 Fanomenal Lashes Mascara. The bold red lip is entirely optional, but I find it essential for adding a bit of Parisian allure. For those who are wary of too much colour on the lips, tap the lipstick onto your lips and blend with your finger for a more lived-in, subtle effect. Chanel Rouge Allure in Passion is the perfect blue-toned shade of red that is likely to suit most skin tones.

I believe there is a lot to take away from the French beauty philosophy, and narrowing the make-up regimen down to just a few items would make us appreciate and work more with what we naturally have. The French approach to style is equally commendable, as it would encourage us to value a smaller wardrobe of versatile yet high-quality pieces. And so I continue in hopes of attaining that je ne sais quoi. In the meantime, I will be waiting patiently until the Isabel Marant pour H&M collection launches. 

Only Skin Deep? #1: Diet

This post is the first in a series about how skincare and beauty are influenced not only by the products you apply directly on your skin, but also by how you take care of your body as a whole. It is important to recognise that you can only spend so much money on make up and skincare products, but at the end of the day, lifestyle choices play an equally vital role. You need to give your skin all the help you can from within so that it can help itself from without.

Let's start off with diet. I truly believe that what you put in your gut is likely to affect your skin. Every time I walk away from McDonald's with a tummy full of fries and McNuggets, I can guarantee that a few spots will be due to appear within the following two or three days. The same goes for drinking milk: I recently went through a phase of obsession with Starbucks's Caramel Cream Frappuccino (no coffee, just milk and cream). Out of nowhere came these large, painful spots around my lip and chin area. I eliminated the drink from my diet, albeit reluctantly, and the spots stopped appearing.

There are so many foods that 'experts' claim to contribute towards better skin, it becomes difficult to select exactly which ones you know will be good for you. One useful way to go about solving this dilemma is to incorporate foods with specific ingredients that you know are beneficial for your skin. For example, antioxidants help in preventing and repairing damage to body tissue. Anti-ageing properties, hello! They also block the effects of oxidation, which is caused by free radicals (think of an apple that has been cut and then turned brown after a while - that's oxidation). Foods and drinks high in antioxidants include pomegranate, blueberries, dark chocolate, green tea, and red beans. Don't forget the importance of protein, fats, and zinc. By fats, I mean unsaturated fats, found in nuts and some vegetable oils, as well as in the form of Omega 3 in fish. The possibilities are endless when it comes to eating properly for your skin. As a general rule of thumb, however, try to avoid deep fried stuff, as well as processed food. The smaller and more basic the list of ingredients on the label is, the better.

We've also all heard the timeless advice given to us from doctors, parents, friends: drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. While I'm not sure I can drink that much in a day, the continuity of that advice demonstrates the wide-ranging benefits of drinking water regularly. Water keeps your body functioning properly. It doesn't take a genius to know that our bodies are made up of a majority of water (around 60%, if you want an actual figure). The fluid regulates a number of processes, namely digestion, saliva production, and body temperature regulation. Let's also not forget that it helps eliminate the nasty stuff that your body does not need. The skin is an organ in itself, and it needs water to fill up the skin cells and prevent dryness. As a result, it's no secret that the first step to healthy-looking skin is hydration, so think of water as a cleanser, toner and moisturiser from within. The best aid in locking that moisture in your skin is a moisturiser containing hyaluronic acid.

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that alcohol is going to take you a hundred steps backward in terms of keeping your skin healthy. Alcohol dehydrates you like it's nobody's business. However, I have to admit that I enjoy the occasional beer/wine/cider/cocktail. I try to remedy this by drinking a lot of water along the way, just to top up the H2O as best I can.

By no means should you deprive yourself when it comes to food. On Friday night, I had the most wonderful dinner at Hakkasan in London, and tried all the amazing dishes that came to the table. My advice, however, is to have all these treats in moderation. Too much of a good thing can end up being bad for you, so give in to temptation, but not to gluttony.

Summer Body Essentials

Around two weeks ago, London experienced a solid period of hot, sunny weather. Out came the shorts, the sunglasses, the sandals, and the picnic blankets. However, in true English weather fashion, this spell of glorious sunshine did not last, and the miserly grey skies have returned.

This does not mean that the party is over in the beauty world. Several beauty products made their way into my summer routine during those two weeks of hot weather, and I'm not going to part with them just because of a few clouds and dropping temperatures. 

Among them is the all-important sunscreen. Last year, I had quickly had enough of the stinging feeling that came with those clear sprays when I applied the stuff to my face. A bit of research unmasked the culpable ingredient: alcohol. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it also dries your skin, making it a double whammy of no-no for my dry, sensitive skin. So I have switched back to a good ol' cream. Yes, it takes a bit more time and effort to apply, but this Clarins Sun Care Cream SPF 30 absorbs quickly into the skin, minimising those white streaks. The smell is not too overwhelming either, which is a plus as I like to wear fragrances all the time.

After a day in the sun, my skin feels like it needs a bit of a cool-down. The Garnier Ambre Solaire After Sun Refreshing Hydrating Spray does the trick, and has a very light fragrance and moisturises well. What I dislike about it, though, is the spray mechanism - it leaks, and is temperamental in the amount it is willing to dispense. You can get anything between a drop and far too much product. So, I guess the hunt is on for an after-sun product with minimum fuss application. Alternatively, you can always moisturise the old-fashioned way - with a body butter or moisturiser. The Laura Mercier Soufflé Body Crèmes all smell divine, with my personal favourite being the Ambre Vanillé scent. Their texture is that of a thick cream, rather than of a 'butter' that you have to dig out of the pot (which I don't enjoy). They keep your skin noticeably soft for as long as you can smell the product, which, in my experience, was a good eight hours. 

I like a light fragrance for summer, and actually prefer ones that don't necessarily have that much lasting power. It's good to refresh yourself by spritzing some throughout the day, and reliving that first impression that you love so much about your fragrance over and over again. My weapon of choice is the Caudalie Fleur de Vigne Eau Fraîche, which smells of grapefruit, mandarins and cedarwood (yes, I am a citrus fiend). I am as addicted to the smell of this now as I was when I first tried it out in store. Speaking of smells, that body odour is not one you should be imparting unto your fellow tube passengers. The Mitchum Advanced Control deodorant is the best I've tried, and there is an unperfumed range for those with sensitive skin *raises hand*.

Finally, it wouldn't be a full summer bodycare celebration if the nails weren't painted in a pretty colour. My shade of choice is the Rimmel 60 Seconds nail varnish in Instyle Coral. The brush is quite nifty too; it coats your nail in one stroke. Now, I am not the most adventurous when it comes to nail colour, so this foray into coral territory is pretty out of my comfort zone already. Nonetheless, I am  experimenting with a minty green, and plan on branching out into yellows and blues sometime in the not-too-distant future. Hopefully, the sun will come out again so that it will put me in the mood to play with all these summer shades.

The Fragrance Wardrobe

"When I grow up, I want to make perfumes. I want to be a nose." Aged nine, I had found my dream profession. My parents had bought me a perfume-making kit for my birthday, and it contained 12 flasks of the most commonly used fragrance notes. The day I opened the kit to play with it was the day my love affair with fragrance began.

For me, fragrance is the most personal aspect of the beauty world. Each fragrance always has a different effect depending on the person wearing it, making it all the more private. The idea that a scent can speak volumes about the person wearing it, not just with one whiff of the top notes, but throughout the day as the perfume evolves on someone's skin, is truly special. The sensory experience of scent is unrivalled - it can evoke an array of memories you didn't even know where lingering in the back of your mind, and with these memories come emotion as you associate the scents with people, things, and places.

Fragrance is also a form of expression, a reflection of your character, of how you feel in one particular moment. In this respect, it works much like clothes do. You dress for the appropriate occasion, weather, time of day, and, most importantly, for yourself. This is why I view my fragrance collection as a sort of wardrobe. Consider this post a peek into this 'wardrobe' of mine, if you will.

Hermès Un Jardin Sur le Nil: This is my all-rounder perfume. Day, night, summer, winter... It opens with a citrus party, with grapefruit notes leading the way. Green mango creeps in a few moments later, adding another kick of freshness to the scent, and the finish is that of a soft incense smell. When I first tried this, I had never smelled anything like it before. I loved the way it was vibrant, but did not have any harsh edges, making it a constant pleasure to bring my wrist up to my nose to see how it was developing. This perfume awakens the senses, and I wear this whenever I know I've got a long day ahead and that I will need plenty of energy. This is the jeans and crisp white t-shirt of my fragrance wardrobe.

Marc Jacobs Biscotti: Everyone loves Marc Jacobs's Daisy fragrance, but Biscotti is closer to my heart. It does not smell of the famous biscuit, but it brings out the best in the popular coffee accompaniment. It starts with notes of orange blossom, then transforms into the most wonderful combination of vanilla and pistachio blossom. I often wear this in summer and autumn, when just a touch of freshness is welcome on those balmy evenings. The perfume's softer side comes out later, making this a comforting scent. It is reminiscent of a light cashmere sweater: thin enough to stay cool, but also soft enough and providing just the warmth you need. 

Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Mirto di Panarea: Staying in the crisp, clean scents category, this cologne is slightly more romantic than the Hermès perfume. Notes of basil, myrtle, lemon and bergamot sit at the top, and it slowly descends into a woody finish through a hint of sea breeze. This is used when I still want a perfume that zings, but without the citrus. This is perfect for hot summer days and nights, and the way this wears on the skin instantly transports me back to my holiday last year in Dubrovnik, where the intense heat of the day gave way to an evening in which all the smells would rise up from the greenery and the pavements, complemented by a slight breeze coming in from the Adriatic Sea. 

Hugo Boss Boss Bottled: "What is a men's fragrance doing in your collection," I hear you ask. Allow me to diverge slightly and take a quote from Jean Claude Ellena's The Diary of a Nose (which I finished reading in a day) in an attempt to explain why I wear this cologne.

"[...] I don't believe perfumes should be for women, for men, mixed or unisex. It is the people who wear them who give them their gender."

Boss Bottled, for me, is pretty much attraction in liquid form. The first time I smelled this, it fit the person wearing it so well, and ever since, I have worn this cologne not just as a reminder of this person, but of all the things I associate with him. This is a typical winter scent - it is sweet, spicy and woody all rolled up in one. The amalgamation of sweet apples, bergamot, cinnamon and vanilla is pure perfection. Imagine the feeling of a large, soft scarf that you can wrap around your neck two to three times, and in which you can just bury half your face as you go out to brave the bitter winter cold. That is exactly what this cologne feels like. It is comfort scent-ified (as opposed to personified), and it is down to both the association with warm apple pies and how personal this fragrance is to me.

L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse Aux Papillons: This is spring in a bottle. I don't usually care much for predominant florals in a perfume, but this jasmine and tuberose concoction remains fresh and light thanks to a few citrus elements and an addition of orange blossom. This isn't just a garden in full bloom, it is also a bouquet of flowers that have just been freshly cut. La Chasse Aux Papillons is the fragrance equivalent of a light floral print dress, the kind that you would wear to an afternoon picnic in the park.

Diptyque Vetyverio: Vetyverio is another fragrance for all seasons. It is so versatile that it makes me think of Mediterranean gardens in the summer and winter nights in by a fire in equal measure. It introduces itself with distinctly peppery green notes and citrus, but hints of florals, woods and sweet fruits lend themselves well to the edges of the lemon, mandarin and bergamot. Shortly after the initial hit of greens and citruses, the perfume becomes very subtle, yet still interesting. The 'little black dress' (LBD) comes to mind when I smell this, simply because of its passe-partout nature - it can be as understated or as intricate as you'd like, through any detailing or ornamental features.

There you have it, the star scents that I wear regularly whenever different moods hit. I truly believe that fragrance is as important as what you wear, and the options are not limited to perfume. Body moisturisers also have the same effect, and the Laura Mercier Ambre Vanillé Soufflé Body Crème is my favourite moisturiser scent. Sometimes I even find that the smell of certain detergents or fabric softeners makes me do a double-take when I pass by someone who has just washed their clothes. Odd, I know, but that just shows how multifaceted and individual fragrance can really be.

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Current Skincare Routine

That's it. I confess. I have spent the better part of my teenage years with my head buried in the sand when it comes to skincare. In my ignorance, all I needed was some sort of makeup remover, water, and a moisturiser. I was a mole, myopically digging my way around the skincare world, not knowing what would be good for my skin, what my skin needed, heck, not even what my skin type is.

This year, however, a stroke of luck at a Boxing Day 2012 sale at John Lewis opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of skincare, and it transformed the way I think about beauty entirely. I have seen the light. A duo of Clarins's Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs and Toning Lotion with Camomile was half price in the sale, and I snapped it up, thinking that it could not possibly make my skin react worse than it did with the Clinique 3-step System. Lo and behold, this combination was incredibly gentle on my very sensitive, dry skin, and the experience was so wonderful that I stuck to the cleansing regime. Before long, I was enamoured with toners and ditched the make-up removing wipes, and was excited to explore what other products I could try out once I was done with the Clarins combo. 

With the help of a few blogs along the way, notably those of Anna and Caroline Hirons, I am slowly but surely adding worthwhile things to my skincare arsenal. My cleansing habits have changed since my it-stings-real-bad-so-it-must-be-working days, and I take my skin's well-being much more seriously.

So without further ado, here is my current cleansing lineup.

Starring:

Clarins Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream: My cleansing hero. This does not dry my skin out at all. I slather this on and massage my face for a few minutes, really working the product in to take off any makeup and dirt. This is followed by a (clean) hot damp flannel, used to wipe off all the cream. This sounds really gross, but I love seeing all the grime come off onto the white flannel. The perks of using flannel cloths in your cleansing routine have been covered extensively by Ms Hirons - they offer an initial exfoliating step without being too abrasive, amongst other advantages. Some people may find the smell of this Cleansing Cream unpleasant, but it reminds me of my childhood spent at a French school, where the female teachers smelled of all the Clarins products under the sun (I'm pretty sure the Eau Dynamisante was a particular favourite).

Bioderma Créaline (or Sensibio) H2O Micellar Solution: I've had many a conversation with female friends about how we ever survived without Bioderma's Créaline. When I first tried it, I was awestruck. Going from make-up removing wipes that required me to actually pinch my eyelashes to get mascara off to THIS... Oh baby. Finally something that stopped me equating make-up removal with potential face/eye rashes. I don't usually use this all over my face; I reserve it for taking off my eye makeup right before or right after the Clarins Cleansing Cream. Just place a few drops of this on a cotton pad, hold it over the eye area and press lightly for about 10-15 seconds (I gently massage it over my eyes), and sweep everything off from underneath in a Nike-swoosh motion, starting from the inner corner of your eye. You don't believe in magic? You will after you've tried Bioderma.

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant: I never really liked the feeling of those 'micro-bead' exfoliants, and they never did anything for my skin. As much as I'd try to picture a cross-section of my skin with ground apricot kernel bits digging out the stuff clogging my pores and dead skin, it was all in vain. This is where liquid exfoliants come in. This Aveda product is the newest addition to my skincare routine. It is very gentle, does not make the skin tingle uncomfortably, and it rids the skin of dead cells. At £17, it's an affordable way to wean yourself off those beady, bitty scrubs.

Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile: The product that started my skincare routine revolution. Layered on top of the Aveda Exfoliant, this toner calms everything down after the pH-altering processes of cleansing and exfoliating. This product is formulated specially for normal to dry skin. Strictly no stinging with this one, it feels almost as though you're dabbing iced camomile tea on your face, and it feels heavenly. 

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream: I'm still searching for the perfect moisturiser, but sometimes I wonder whether I really need to when I have this one. It does the job well: it is unscented, it hydrates well, and it is affordable. I've been using this for years, and have always repurchased it. Maybe I should adhere to that old saying - If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask: I purchased this back in February before taking a flight home to Hong Kong. I was only going back for five days, meaning I was not going to leave it up to time for my skin to recover from the effects of that lovely compressed and recycled air. I needed something to avoid those dry skin patches cropping up on my face, pronto. I put this on after cleansing on the plane, and left it on for the better part of the 11-hour flight. Just before landing in Hong Kong, I noticed my skin had literally soaked up the mask, and I wiped off what little was left with Bioderma, moisturised, and I was ready to face the day on the other side of the world. Back down here on solid ground, I use this mask twice to three times a week. I apply it liberally on my face before I go to sleep (post-cleanse and moisturising), tie my hair in a loose but high ponytail to keep the hair out of my face, and trust that in the morning my skin will look incredible.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: This was added to my routine around the same time that I introduced the Aveda exfoliant. I have heard so much about this product, with pretty much every blogger singing its praises. When I first tried it, I realised I probably should have skipped either the exfoliant or the toner step, as my skin started to tingle, and quite alarmingly. It did not result in any dry or irritated patches, though, so I gave it another go, omitting the exfoliant. My skin pepped up quite spectacularly after application, and it felt much better than the first time I used it. The only thing I dislike about it is the smell - it's slightly too herbal for my liking.

Along the way, I will undoubtedly introduce new things into my routine as I run out of certain items. I'll be sure to document the new arrivals and how I get on with them on here. If anyone has any products to recommend, or has tried any of the above products, I'd love to hear from you please! I'd say I'm only just embarking on this skincare discovery (it's been 6 months), and have really seen a difference in my skin since I've started taking better care of it. Some might get the impression that this whole process is too costly and too time-consuming, but your skin will thank you in however-many-years' time. Besides, in the words of the legendary Shu Uemura, "beautiful make-up starts with beautiful skin".