This blog post is part of a series of my personal skin care journey. If you’ve got oily, temperamental, breakout prone skin you may want to read on – and let me know your best skin care tips in the comments! x

It’s been a while since I posted about my beauty routine, and since then I’ve tried out new products that I’d love to talk about, as well as figured out which of the products I originally mentioned have become staples! And so, here is my current morning and evening beauty routine…

Morning

Cleanser: I decided to purchase First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser (140g for £11.20 from BeautyBay.com) because Caroline Hirons had recommended trying the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (next one down on this list!), and if I added another item to my cart while shopping at BeautyBay.com I would receive a gift. I’m glad I did because this cleanser is lovely! It comes out a beautifully shiny pearly white colour and gently smooths across the skin before melting away with warm water. I haven’t noticed a scent with it, but I feel so refreshed in the morning when I use it.

Toner: First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (60 pieces for £16.40 from BeautyBay.com) was another of Caroline Hirons’ recommendations, and yet again she hasn’t let me down! I’m not too keen on the scent, but I love the gentle tingle and my skin seems to glow after using these bad boys. I’ve been using them nearly every morning.

Hydrate: When I added the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser to my cart, my free gift was the Mario Badescu Premier Rosewater Facial Spray and Cream Soap Duo* (2x30ml for £6.50 from BeautyBay.com). I’ve been loving anything rose scented lately, so I was stoked to receive this spray. The cream soap is lovely, too, but the facial spray is simply divine. It sprays on thicker than the Melvita spray, and I feel as though my skin has become softer since I’ve added this to my routine.

Eyes: I received the Guinot  Eye Fresh Cream* (15ml for £40 from Urban Retreat) as a gift from the team at Urban Retreat during their Christmas Showcase, and I am so glad I did! On the days I use this product I find my dark circles appear lighter and my eyes more refreshed. When I apply, I gently massage the cream into my skin with the metal wand (inside the lid), which offers a subtle tingle and somehow actually feel luxurious. (I don’t know how that works – it just does.) In the past I’ve said I thought there was a learning curve with eye creams, and I think this one has set the bar for me.

Treatment: In my first post, I mentioned that I was using the Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil (£23 for 30ml from the REN site), as recommended by Caroline Hirons. Well, I loved that product so much that I’ve completely used up! In search of another treatment, I opted to invest in another of her suggestions – the Aesop Parsley Seed Antioxidant Serum (100ml £45 from Aesop) – which I’m using now. It has a natural, earthy scent and leaves my skin looking dewy but not oily. I’m impressed.

Moisturiser: I’ve written about Elemental Herbology’s Moisture Milk before (50ml £42 from the Elemental Herbology website), but it is a staple in my current routine so it’s totally worth mentioning again! Originally recommended to me by Caroline Hirons, I gave it a chance and it’s rightfully earned a place in my beauty arsenal. This moisturiser is lightweight, spreads easily, doesn’t make my skin look oily and has a lovely scent.

Evening

Cleanser: When I visited Caroline Hirons she gave me a whole host of samples – one of which was the Melting Cleansing Balm by Merumaya* (100ml for £14.50 from Merumaya). She recommended I use it in the morning, but after reading this review by A Model Recommends I decided to try it out at night. Like Ruth, I find that it does a fab job of removing makeup, so I’ve taken to using it to double cleanse every other night. (On the nights in between I’m still using my Antonia Burrell cleanser, which I mentioned in that first post!)

Toner: You’ll probably recognise the Peter Thomas Roth’s Gentle Complexion Correction Pads (60 pieces for £23.95 from BeautyBay.com) from the first skincare post – and here it is again! Only it’s a new package, because I totally used up all 60 pads in the last one. That’s called love.

Hydrate: Another favourite, Melvita’s Damask Rose Floral Water (£16 for 200ml from Melvita) still features in my routine. I’ve been using it at night so that I could see the results of the Mario Badescu spray, and after two months of use there’s still about two week’s worth of product in the bottle – not bad!

Eyes: Introducing the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (14g for £20 from Kiehl’s). Yet another Caroline Hirons recommendation, this one ties (in my book, anyway!) with the Guinot eye cream. It’s smooth, creamy and has a light green colour that looks like a fresh avocado, but without the scent. I use it before bed, and when I wake up in the morning my eyes always look bright and refreshed.

Treatment: I’m still using Antonia Burrell’s Pure Therapy Facial Oil Serum* (£58.80 for 15ml from her site) which she so kindly gifted me when I visited her for a facial. It leaves my skin looking brighter and feeling more hydrated, and I’m pretty sure (though please don’t quote me on this because I’m not sure if it’s just in my head!) that the skin discolouration caused by previous breakouts has begun to even out since I’ve started using it. Either way, it’s earned it’s place as a staple in my beauty arsenal.

And there you have it – my current skincare routine! I’d love to hear about how you care for your skin (especially if it’s oily and struggles with dehydration the way mine does 😉 ), so please share your thoughts and tips in the comments! xo

Please note: Any product marked with an asterisk* was a gift that I did not pay for – either from PRs, as a sample, or as a gift for making a purchase from a website – however, all views expressed are my own.