Good morning class,

Today I’d like to chat about skin.

I haven’t really done any posts about skin before, and this is due to the fact that I am a self-confessed skin n00b (as they say on the internet). I suck at skin. I hate spending money on it cause it’s not as exciting as makeup and I just don’t “get” skin.

However, after much struggle, research (on Makeup Obsessives) and dreaded chin pimps I have finally found a routine that suits my oil slick of a face. Joy!

Lucky for you I’ve decided to share it with you! I think the time that made me realize I need to sort out my skin was when I started teaching I touched my face all the time and got pimples on my chin quite often. A 5 year old (bless) tried to touch my chin and was like “What are those bumps Miss White?”. Shame. I went to Lush on the way home.

I’ve always used makeup remover wipes to take off my makeup each night, and although I do still use those every second day, I realize they aren’t really ideal for cleansing alone. (I use the Kmart ones – on sale for $2 at the moment! Craaazy!?).

Okay before I start rambling about skin I’m going to talk about my daily routine, show you the products I use and talk about which I use each one for, and show a picture of my skin. It’s not perfect yet, as I am only human, and it’s not suuuuper recent because I’ve got a few hormonal pimples at the moment (I think it’s from a couple of weeks ago). As I say to the kids at school, deal with it.

 

Righto, each day in the morning I will spray some Tea Tree Water by Lush onto a pad and wipe my face with it to get off any dirt that has developed overnight, then I’ll put some Karen Farley Moisturizer on my face and start my makeup routine. That’s all for the morning, but at night I am either washing my hair or not (I wash my hair at night every second day and have a quick morning shower on the opposite days). If I’m washing my hair I’ll jump in the shower and use a bit of the Dark Angels Fresh Facial Cleanser on my face to remove my makeup, scrub my face a bit and get rid of any oil, then I’ll use a face wipe after the shower to get rid of any extra makeup and/or dirt. I’ll hop into bed and put on some Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion by The Body Shop and roll some Linden Leaves Eye Rescue Serum under my eyes and that’s me for the night! If I didn’t wash my hair and I’m going to shower in the morning then I use a face wipe to wipe off all my makeup. Then I’ll use some Tea Tree Water by Lush on a makeup pad to remove any excess makeup and/or dirt. Then I’ll put on a little bit of Trilogy Rosehip oil on my face.

Every now and then I’ll use some of the John Plunket Glyco Peel to exfoliate my skin and remove a layer of it basically.

I also like (not pictured) the Queen Helene Mint Juleps face mask which I use on a regular basis as well! SO good for oily/acne prone skin.

Okay, Trilogy Rosehip oil. Where to start!? I’ve heard any Rosehip oil is good for the skin to reduce redness and scarring however I personally think this one is the best! My mum has used a different few products but she doesn’t like them as much as this one. It’s gorgeous packaging with a little eyedropper to apply the oil which is awesome. The oil doesn’t make my skin feel too oily if that makes any sense. It’s a fantastic moisturizer at night and it definitely makes a difference in regards to redness and scarring. It’s a miracle worker! I would hands down recommend this product if you have any scarring or redness like myself. Even if you’ve got oily skin! I know I was scared to use it because of that factor too but it doesn’t make my skin any extra oily or anything so give it a go!

 

Okay. Stop. I repeat stop. If you have any sort of blemishes on your face or acne prone skin PLEASE BUY THIS PRODUCT. No joke. It looks like the tiniest container but it lasts for forever! Mine’s lasted about 4 months so far and still going strong! It seriously works. My face was as red as a tomato and I had so many nasty scars on my cheeks and chin and forehead and they are mostly gone. I owe it to this. EVERYONE and their dog raved about this product and I didn’t believe it… until I gave it a go. They were speaking the truth. It’s a gorgeous lotion and I love products with Tea Tree in them – they really seem to help stop me getting pimples. LOVE THIS PRODUCT.

 

Another amazing product I need to absolutely rave about. I have tried about four of the Lush Fresh Facial Cleansers and this one is by far the best for oily skin. It’s a bit scary when you first open it because it’s literally black. However you only need a pinch and mixed with water it rubs into a gorgeous paste which you can lightly scrub into your face. I love that it feels like it’s actually doing something. It’s a good scrub consistency. Doesn’t feel like it’s taking off a layer of skin but it feels like it’s doing something. Be careful not to use it every single day as I feel like it could be harsh on the skin. I use mine every second day. My boyfriend even likes this product and he is fussy about stuff on his face so that is a huge thumbs up for Lush! Plus – if you bring back 5 clean containers you get a free Fresh Face Mask! How good is that!? And of course they’re cruelty free and all natural products. If you haven’t been led by your nose to your closest Lush store then get there asap! They are good about giving wee samples too so you can see what will suit your skin!

 

Another by Lush – their Tea Tree Toner Water. I’m not entirely sure this actually does a whole lot to my face, but I just love Tea Tree Products on my skin. I like the way it feels on my skin, it’s cheap and it’s natural. It does a good job of removing excess makeup and it makes my skin feel fresh. No complaints with this one. Don’t rush out and buy it but it is a perfect accompaniment to the Dark Angels in my opinion (and great for acne prone skin!)

 

 

John Plunkett Glyco Peel – This freaked me out a bit cause I was like “what on earth is a Glyco Peel???” The word peel makes it sound scary. + it kind of is. It’s a serum-type liquid which you spread over your face it it’s supposed to exfoliate the top layer/s of your skin basically and get rid of all the bad stuff. It does sting my skin a bit so I only use it every so often but oh my goodness when I do use it, it makes my skin feel divine! I figure I probably need a good exfoliate every now and then and despite the slight sting I like it!

Karen Farley Moisturizer – This one is the small sample size but I had the full sized one as well. In fact I’ve nearly run out! This moisturizer is amazing. I like the way it feels on my skin. It’s not too heavy nor too light. I hate it how some moisturizers are like a thick sunscreen consistency and I hate it when they’re too thin and they feel like nothing. This one is a great medium ground. It’s gorgeous and creamy and you only need a small amount. It makes my skin feel amazing and it smells really good. It doesn’t make me oily or make me break out and I’ve been using this one for a few years now (on and off). I keep coming back though! Definitely worth a try. I think you can only get this brand online. http://www.karenfarley.co.nz/ Best of all it’s a New Zealand brand and I’m all about supporting those local brands! Go and try it out if you’re looking for a good moisturizer!

Linden Leaves Eye Rescue Serum – A while ago I realized I was getting quite dark under eye circles which was scary. I’ve never had that problem before! I’m putting it down to old age, new job and late nights. However I had a tough time getting rid of them. Until now. The Linden Leaves Eye Rescue Serum is gorgeous. It’s a huge amount of product in a tiny tube but it lasts for forever. I’ve had mine a good 5 months and it still feels full! The absolute best thing about it is that the eye roller is made of metal so it’s really cold and soothing on that under eye area. It actually feels amazing. Especially after a stressful day at school. Also Linden Leaves is another NZ company! Ideal! I always saw their products around gift shops and things like that but I’d never tried them until I bought this (after hearing some NZ bloggers raving about it). Awesome! Especially if you suffer from darker under eye circles. You can buy this from Life Pharmacy or online http://lindenleaves.com/ they have a HUGE range of products so even if this isn’t for you have a look at their other stuff! I need to get my hands on some more too!

 

So there you have it, my skin routine and favourite products! Do you use any of these particular products? What do you think? Do you have anything else you’d recommend my oily acne prone skin? PLEASE let me know!