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

If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know I’m a big fan of Islington, North London (oh hey N1 bangle and Town Hall wedding venue!) and, obviously, a big fan of beauty – particularly skin care. So when fellow Islingtonite (if that’s not a word, it should be!) Magda Thompson, founder of LouLouBelle Skincare, got in touch about her newly-launched brand, I responded by telling her all my skin care woes and complimenting her branding because look how cute it is! (Also, green is my favourite colour.)

She then sent out a few products designed for oily/problem skin for me to try. Here’s how I got on…

I tried these products by swapping them with items currently in my daily routine (described at the bottom of this post) to see just how they fit in. And after two weeks I’ve got no immediate plans to swap these products back – I’m actually really impressed!

According to the LouLouBelle Skincare website, “[They] avoid complex formulas that include unnecessary additives.” And this is something that I picked up on when I was using the products. They felt so – and I really don’t want to use this word because of its negative connotations, but I will because its definition suits perfectly – basic in absolutely the most positive way.

I found the Geranium & Tea Tree Purifying Cleanser* left my skin feeling clean, fresh, hydrated and not-at-all tight. (Many products leave my skin feeling tight after cleansing, which is never a good thing, so I don’t blog about those products because I don’t like them!) I also noticed a decrease in redness around my acne papules, and my acne pustules are finally starting to go away. (Gross / TMI alert: if my pustules drain during cleansing with warm water and a flannel, they often come right back. Over the past two weeks I’ve watched these pustules drain in the normal way and then start to heal up. They aren’t totally gone, but I suspect they will be in another few weeks at this rate – fingers crossed!) Ingredients include grapeseed and hazelnut oils; lavender floral water; eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, geranium and tea tree essential oils; and aloe vera.

The LouLouBelle Calendula Purifying Moisturiser* was also a delight. I’ve got a keen eye for moisturisers at the moment now that winter is coming, and this one is a delight. Lightweight and smelling divine, it soaked right into my skin without feeling heavy or thick. (I may have oily skin, but I also struggle with skin dehydration, which basically makes central heating my worst nightmare!) It also works well under my primer and foundation, which means I’m keeping this one in the cupboard above the bathroom sink. Ingredients include calendula; kiwi and grapeseed oils; and essential oils of myrtle, patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood and grapefruit.

My current beauty routine:

AM

1. Cleanse: Aurelia Miracle Cleanser** (£34 for 120ml from Aurelia)
2. Tone: LouLouBelle Lavender & Cypress Purifying Toner* (£17.95 for 100ml from LouLouBelle Skincare)
3. Hydrate: Mario Badescu Premier Rosewater Facial Spray** (8oz for £11.95 from Beauty Bay)
4. Eyes: Guinot  Eye Fresh Cream* (15ml for £40 from Urban Retreat)
5. Treatment: Aesop Parsley Seed Antioxidant Serum (100ml for £45 from Aesop)
6. Moisturiser: LouLouBelle Calendula Purifying Moisturiser* (£24.95 for 50ml from LouLouBelle Skincare)

PM

1. Cleanse (oil): RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream (£12.50 for 70g from Beauty Bay)
2. Cleanse (cream): Geranium & Tea Tree Purifying Cleanser* (£19.95 for 100ml via the LouLouBelle Skincare)
3. Tone: Grease Relief Face Tonic (£21 for 207ml from Beauty Bay)
4. Hydrate: Mario Badescu Premier Rosewater Facial Spray** (8oz for £11.95 from Beauty Bay)
5. Eyes: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (14g for £20 from Kiehl’s)
6. Treatment: Argan Oil (this particular one I purchased in Morocco on the cheap, but there are many argan oil products available in the UK)

Please note: while the products marked with a star (*) in this blog post were gifts, the views expressed are my own. Products marked with two asterisks (**) are products that I was introduced to as gifts and loved so much that when I finished them up I purchased replacements!