New Year, New Skincare

Towards the end of last year, my skin was looking decidedly dull. Two months of partying, drinking, eating and generally living the good life had taken its toll and was written all over my face in the form of breakouts, congestion and oiliness. Attractive.

On New Years Day, while slumped on the sofa recovering sans makeup, I decided to take action and rejig my skincare regime. Great foundation and an over-reliance on blusher can only get you so far, and as I’d been loyal to the same products for many months I figured it was time for a change. And as I know healthy skin comes from within (just coined that phrase), I also vowed to improve my eating habits.

A bit of online shopping and a trip to Space NK later and I was ready to face 2014. Literally.

I’ve been using Origins skincare for about a year now, and although I love it dearly, my skin had got used to it and it wasn’t as effective as it had been. I needed something that worked deeper and more efficiently, so I invested in a Clarisonic.

£120 is a steep price to pay for what looks like a glorified electric toothbrush, but Caroline Hirons’ words rang in my ears as I clicked ‘add to basket’ – you’d spend £120 on a handbag you use for one season, but not on the face that’s yours for life?! Too true. Plus, I’m still sort of enamoured with Amazon Prime, so my shiny new gadget arrived the next day.

I needed new products to go with my Clarisonic, so I headed to Space NK and asked for advice. The lady I spoke to also used a Clarisonic and she recommend Nude’s Perfect Cleansing Oil for Face & Eyes. I snapped it up along with their Radiant Day Moisturiser. I’m still working my way through my Origins stash and I’ve loved this Purifying Tonic from their Organics range, so I’ll stick with this until it’s done.

My new routine starts with a quick removal of my eye makeup – I use L’Oreal’s Absolute Makeup Remover Eye and Lip. I massage the Nude Cleansing Oil into dry skin, ’emulsify’ it with a little water and get to work with the Clarisonic, working in circles across my chin, forehead and cheeks. It’s a clever little thing – the head vibrates rather than rotates to work product deep into the skin and cleanse 6 times more efficiently than your hands. It also gives you a little beep when it’s ready to move to a different part of your face – 20 seconds for chin, 20 for your forehead and 10 each for your cheeks.

I then use a little more Cleansing Oil with a hot flannel to sweep away residue and any stray mascara. A splash of water, a towel dry and then it’s time to tone with the Purifying Tonic on cotton wool. My final step is a touch of moisturiser – I apply lightly as I have oily skin, concentrating on my T-Zone. Done!

I’ve been loyal to my new routine for about 2 weeks now and I’ve noticed such a difference. I’m still in the ‘purging’ stage with my Clarisonic, so I am getting breakouts but they’re becoming less frequent and disappearing quicker. Overall my skin is so much smoother, more refined and looks brighter. My makeup goes on much better and stays put longer, while shine is kept under control all day.

I’m so impressed with the Clarisonic – reviews are very mixed and I think it’d be too harsh for sensitive skin, but for my oily complexion it’s really helping. Have you overhauled your skincare recently? Any product recommendations to share?