The Skin Update // La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ Was, in Fact, Sent From the Heavens Above

Skin really is quite difficult to write about. Obviously, everyone's skin is different and what might work for me may not work for you, and may even make your skin condition worse. Seeing as I am by no means an expert when it comes to skincare, just an enthusiast, I always feel slightly tentative when I write about what's happening on my face. 

Things are, however, slowly getting better, something I am very happy to report. The patch of spots on my left cheek that returned, having disappeared during the summer, is getting calmer and less irritated every day and the angry cysts underneath my skin (just the mental image you wanted, I know) are 

beginning to disappear. 

The reason for this? Well, it's kinda difficult to pinpoint it. As I said in my February Favourites post, I haven't had the easiest time lately, having moved back home somewhat unexpectedly after conceding defeat with my Uni course. Stress is definitely a big factor in bad skin for me, so the fact that all of this is now behind me is definitely a factor. Being away from London and all of its pollution and coffee shops is definitely another bonus for my complexion... But I can't really explain what's happened 

without thanking a few products...

The standout hero product would have to be the oh-so-imfamous La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+. It. Is. Awesome. The reformulation of this cult classic is definitely for the better in my eyes. My post spot red marks are fading evening and more than they would do sans Duo+. It's also slightly more hydrating that it's original counterpart, something that I consider to be for the better. It's had the most noticeable effect on the lower half of my right cheek, which for the first time ever had been on the brink of a major breakout, where my old milia all seemed to become blemishes over night (the miraculous human body, ladies and gentlemen)! All the redness and nasty under-the-skin lumps vanished within a week from this area, and the scars are healing nicely. On my more troublesome right cheek, it's true that the area is far from clear, but it is definitely getting better. The end is in sight.

The downside of this wonder product? It is still kinda drying. Not as badly as before, but I find it to be too much when used on its own for an extended period of time. My solution? The Aurelia Miracle Cleanser. This was in my Favourites post for a reason! It's soooo good when your skin needs some relief from whatever is irritating it. It's moisturising without making you feel greasy, which is my biggest gripe about the much adored (and for good reasons, it is a brilliant cleanser) Emma Hardie Amazing Face Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm. In addition to this, I've been using the Kiehl's Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimising Daily Hydrator to layer on the moisture under my daily SPF. This creates a really nice anti-inflammatory base for my makeup and I really, really like it. A good dash of the Boots Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil has not gone amiss as an overnight treatment either. 

So there it is, my skin update. It's far from where I want it to be, but I'm a lot closer than I was just a couple of weeks ago, when things were looking very desperate.

The Month // February

February has been quite a big month for me. I accepted the fact that I was on the wrong course at Uni, transferred from said course and moved back home, knowing that I would not be returning to Uni until September, when I will be starting a new degree from scratch. I moved in with the Boyfriend with a day's notice, went back to work full time and have blogged pretty consistently, something I have wanted to do for a very, very long time.

Naturally, I got through all of this with a little help from my somewhat extravagant cosmetics collection. I'm only human. As such, my favourite products of this month include stress-induced blemish busters, anything that makes me look less tired and a good, old fashioned hot bath. Let's get started.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ - I've already mentioned this product on the blog and sung its praises. It really is a brilliant reformulation of the cult classic product. It's more hydrating than the original, works wonders with hormonal/stress related breakouts and smells pretty good too. I still find it to be a bit too drying when used consistently for weeks on end, so I now just slap it on the acne patches on my cheeks and chin then pop on some moisturiser over the top.

REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser - An all-time favourite of mine, great for when my skin is freaking out. I'd recommend this for anyone, but it can be drying when used over a long period of time. Saying this, it is great for calming my skin down when it's having a bit of a paddy.

Aurelia Miracle Cleanser - I've been using this towards the back end of this month to counteract the dryness brought on by the two products listed above. Combination skin, how I love thee. It's a great cleanser that both clarifies and moisturises. A definite repurchase to be.

Kiehl's Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator - I've had a bit of an off-and-on-again relationship with this moisturiser. I tried a sample of it, loved it, bought it, wasn't wowed by it, left it alone for a while, fell back in love with it. It's great at reducing redness and smoothing over dry spots. A good all rounder in my opinion.

Percy & Reed Finishing Polish - AKA a good hair day in a tube. I love it.

NARS NARSisst Eyeshadow Palette - A 15 pan palette of perfection. I am so happy that I bought this and use it most days. It's just an awesome selection of shades that gets me from work during the day and evening, to going out for a drink at 1 in the morning when I finish. If you see one and aren't put off by the price tag, get it. You won't regret it. 

Super Beauty Ginger and Pear Shower and Bath Gel - (Not pictured) A great smelling shower gel that makes a regular bath into a super awesome bubble bath that is absolutely bargain-alicious.

Summer Skin... In February?

After nearly 20 years on this planet, I've come to the conclusion that I am not, in fact, a Winter Person. As much as I love seeing frost on the ground and love a good bit of rain (I am English, after all), there is nothing better than a long sunny day spent lounging around outside, the feel of the warm sun on your shoulders and being able to wear flip flops 24/7. Nothing.

The other best thing about the summer? Summer skin. I've got a Mediterranean-ish complexion (thanks, Mum), so I actually tan pretty easily, but lose this colour come winter. Le cry. My solution? Bring out the summertime big guns and fake it.

First of all, the prep work. After finishing my normal skincare routine, I slap on the SPF to protect my skin from the sun's harmful rays. This is such an important step in my routine and have been using some SPF in some form or another for almost a year now and my skin is so much better for it. Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defence SPF 50 PA+++ UVA is a great option as it's so darn light for a factor 50 lotion. However, it is on the pricier side so might not be for everyone, so Soap and Glory Feel Good Factor Translucent BB Cream SPF 25 may be something to consider instead for those on a budge because, again, this is so light on my skin and it smells like peaches, score. My other recommendation would be La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Tinted Cream SPF50, which sits somewhere between the two price wise. This is a fantastic product that got me through last summer working outside. It's tinted, meaning you need less foundation, which, let's face it, is always a bonus come summertime. All three protect against UVA and UVB rays and have adequate SPF protection. I'm not going to try and explain why SPF is so important just yet, but you can find Caroline Hiron's reasons here.

Next up, the good stuff: makeup. I've never really been a big lover of fake tan (it always seemed like such a lot of faff for something that never looked natural), so I rely on my maquillage to bronze myself up. As far as I'm concerned, the best brand for feigning a summer glow is Chanel. As expensive as it is, nothing else seems to compare. I first of all use their Soleil Tan de Chanel Sheer Illumination Fluid on the high points of my face, and follow with the oh-so infamous Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronze Universel Bronzing Makeup Base. Not only do these products have incredibly convoluted names and the price tags to match, they are, in effect, summer in a bottle (or two). The former provides a slightly shimmery, bronze-y, gold-y gleam to the skin. This is probably my favourite highlighter of all time as it works wonderfully no matter how I use it. Ironically, I actually bought this by accident, meaning the pick up Bronze Universel, but neither the shop assisstant or myself knew what I was looking for. I use the latter product everywhere else on my face, neck, ears and chest to bring my skin tone down a few shades. I think that this will work best on olive toned skin as it is slightly orange, so pale girls might struggle with  it a bit, but it is amazing if you can get it to work for you. It has a silicone-y slip that makes it an excellent primer for your foundation.

When I'm all bronzed up, I either reach for my concealer or a tinted moisturiser, depending on the state of my skin. At the moment things are still pretty bad (but getting better!), so I'm using a mix. I'd recommend Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB SPF25 as it adapts to suit your skin nicely and has a beautiful sheen on the skin. Add a lick of mascara, brush through those brows and cream eyeshadow - I recommend a mix of MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Indianwood (which does not receive nearly enough attention online IMO) and Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Longwear Luminous Eyeshadow in Divine for a golden, shimmering eye.

So there you are, how to feign summer skin in the midst of winter. But in the meantime... Where's the Lemsip?