Night time skincare routine

There's nothing I love more than taking my makeup off at the end of the day and smearing moisturiser all over my face.. but there are a few extra steps in my routine than just wiping off my makeup and moisturising my skin.

First up I love to massage the L'oreal skin perfection 15 second miracle cleansing oil all over my face until it's black from mascara and everything has been dissolved, I then run a flannel under hot water and wipe away the makeup. After I've done this step there's no visible makeup left on my face, this product does such a great job at removing makeup and the flannel adds a bit of manual exfoliation.

I then pat my face dry and for my second cleanse I use the Clarins pure melt cleansing gel which is such a beautiful product and I'm currently on my second tube! It starts off as a gel and when you massage it into the skin it turns into an oil, I clean the flannel I used before and wipe away the cleanser. When it comes into contact with water the oil turns into a milk, this cleanser makes my skin feel squeaky clean without leaving it skin tight, it leaves my skin feeling smooth and moisturised.

I've steered clear of using facial scrubs and starting using chemical exfoliation, this is where the La roche-posay lotion astringent micro exfoliant comes in, this removes any left over makeup (which there never is) tightens my pores and exfoliates my skin.

Next up possibly the most hyped up skincare product in the blogging world Hydraluron, I apply this before my moisturiser and it leaves my skin feeling tacky which isn't the most appealing but I have noticed that my skin hasn't been as dehydrated since using this little gem.

Can you tell I like oils? I find that they work well with my skin and are an absolute pleasure to massage in! The trilogy certified organic rosehip oil adds a little bit of extra moisture to my skin and helps get rid of any scarring or lines I may have on my face, I've noticed such a difference in my skin since I've started using this!

finally and the least exciting part of my routine is my moisturiser, I'm currently using the Palmers cocoa butter night renewal cream and I can't say I love it, It's okay and does moisturise my skin but I certainly don't plan on repurchasing it, I'm currently looking for a night cream which won't break my bank yet does an effective job.

Any recommendations for a new night cream and exfoliating toner would be much appreciated!

La Roche-Posay Astringent lotion micro exfoliant

The la Roche-posay Astringent lotion micro exfoliant (what a mouthful!) is basically an exfoliating toner which you use after cleansing your face. I have always been a manual scrub kind of girl, I really like the St Ives apricot scrub yet since watching Caroline Hirons on Body talk I've decided to cut manual exfoliation out of my routine and stick to chemical exfoliation, mainly because I noticed I was getting slightly broken skin by using scrubs a lot. When I say chemical exfoliation I mean that this product contains Salicylic acid and fruit Acids, I know that sounds scary and as if it might burn your face off but honestly It's fine It just eats away at dead skin cells and leaves you with baby smooth skin. I've had this product in my skincare stash for a while and only used it when I broke out as I find it helps clear everything up yet recently I have been using this every night as a part of my night time skincare routine and I can see a difference already. I've found that since using this product every night my pores have reduced in size and look clearer but the best thing I have experienced is that I have always suffered with under the skin bumps/spots and they always made my skin feel slightly bumpy to touch but now when I touch my face it's completely smooth and I haven't felt the need to use a scrub to deep clean my face and I feel that that is down to using this product! I only use this at night because I'm currently using the Loreal micellar soloution in the morning because it's a lot gentler and I'm more than happy with just using an exfoliating toner once a day. I would just like to point out that this is quite a harsh product In my opinion, It has left me looking a tiny bit red before and it contains perfume and alcohol (not exactly great) so it wouldn't be too good for sensitive skin types. Would I repurchase this? probably! I'm all about trying new products so I don't think this would be on my to-buy list when I need a new toner... one product that's similar to this, yet apparently better because it doesn't contain perfume or alcohol and I'm dying to try is the Pixi glow tonic, but I can't find anywhere to get a hold of it? that's definitely a product on my wishlist when this runs out.

Review | La roche-posay effaclar mat

I tend to get an oily t-zone and often find that my makeup slides off the tip of my nose and chin by the end of the day, I thought this was due to my day moisturisers being too thick for my skin during the day so I decided to change it up and brought the la roche-posay effaclar mat because this product is aimed at people who have oily and spot prone skin. la roche-posay say that this product will keep oily skin is moisturised and the mattifying properties help to control shine all day, and your skin will feel smoother.

I have noticed that my t-zone has been less oily during the day since using this product and it sinks into the skin effortlessly, so you're not sitting around for 10 minutes to apply your makeup afterwards, I like the fact that it doesn't feel thick or heavy on my face which is a plus considering I hate that tacky feeling some moisturisers can leave behind.

I have changed a couple of products up in my skincare routine in the last couple of months, I have added in this and the trilogy certified organic rosehip oil and I haven't had a single breakout on my face since using them, I definitely feel that the effaclar mat has something to do with that as the products from the effaclar range claim that with Daily care, helps to limit the appearance of pores and shine by reducing excess sebum, and yes I have noticed a dramatic difference in the size of my pores, they're much smaller now and i'm finding that my skin is less oily, I have used other products from the effaclar range and this is my favorite by far, I'm in love with this product and I will continue to repurchase it.

What's your favorite la roche-posay product?