"PERFECT" GLOWING SKIN... IT'S WHAT WE ALL WANT! I OFTEN GET MESSAGES ON INSTAGRAM, ASKING HOW I TAKE CARE OF MY SKIN. I'VE POSTED MANY INSTA STORIES WITH BITS & PIECES TO HELP YOU GUYS OUT, BUT I WANTED TO WRITE THIS POST FOR YOU AS A "SKIN BIBLE". I USUALLY KEEP THE WORDS TO A MINIMUM ON MY BLOG, BUT I'M SITTING MY ASS DOWN FOR YOU GUYS TO NUT IT ALL OUT.

I USED TO HAVE PROBLEM SKIN & THERE WAS NOTHING WORSE THAN WAKING UP TO ANOTHER DOT RIGHT ON THE MONEY MAKER. SO I CAN SYMPATHISE WITH THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE STILL BATTLING THE BLEMISHES & THAT IS WHY I'M DIGGIN DEEP! OF COURSE, I STILL GET THE ODD BREAK OUT DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE LIFE STRESSES. BUT THE QUALITY OF MY SKIN IS AMAZING & I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO BEING LAZY ABOUT MY SKINCARE.

HERE WE GO...

FIRST OF ALL, LET'S GO BACK TO BASICS. YOU MUST MUST MUST FIND THE RIGHT SKINCARE FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE & USE IT EVERY MORNING & NIGHT. I USED TO BE SO NEGLECTFUL TO MY SKIN; TASKS SUCH AS APPLYING SERUMS JUST SEEMED LIKE A BIG FAT JOKE. BUT LET ME TELL YOU LADIES & GENTLEMEN, THIS SHIT IS LEGIT!

I USE COSMEDIX PURITY CLEAN CLEANSER EVERY MORNING & NIGHT. IN THE AM I USE ASPECTS DR VITAMIN C SERUM ON MY FACE & NECK, THEN I LIKE TO USE A MATTE MOISTURISER FOR THE DAY LIKE SUKIN MATTIFYING MOISTURISER. IF I AM HEADING OUT THAT DAY, THEN I WILL ALSO APPLY SOCIÉTÉ PRIME & DEFEND, WHICH IS THE BEST TINTED SFP PRIMER (SERIOUSLY ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITE PRODUCTS) & FOR BEACH DAYS I GO A BIT HEAVIER WITH THE BALI BODY BB CREAM.

IN THE PM I ALTERNATE BETWEEN ASPECTS DR VITAMIN A & VITAMIN B SERUM. IF YOU WANT TO START THINKING ABOUT REFINING & BRIGHTENING I HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING VITAMIN A SERUM. IT HELPS SPEED UP THE SKINS CYCLE TURNOVER & DELIVERS NUTRIENTS TO THAT PRETTY FACE OF YOURS. THEN I FINISH OFF WITH ASPECTS DR RESVERATROL MOISTURISING CREAM WHICH IS SUPER NOURISHING, HAS ANTI-AGING BENEFITS & IS LOADED WITH POWERFUL ANTI-OXIDANTS. I THEN FINISH WITH KIEHLS MIDNIGHT RECOVERY EYE CONCENTRATE WHICH IS ALSO THE BEST AEROPLANE BUDDY IF YOU'RE A FREQUENT FLYER. IF I HAVE A BLEMISH, I WILL DAB ON A BIT OF AMAZING OILS UGLY BITS STICK WHICH IS A MAGNESIUM PEN FOR SPOTS & DOTS. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING, SERIOUSLY CAN GET RID OF BLEMISHES BORDERLINE OVERNIGHT. ONLY USE IT AT NIGHT THOUGH AS IT MAKES THE APPLIED AREA QUITE RED.

*A QUICK TIP! USE THE COSMEDIX PURITY CLEAN CLEANSER AS A MASK; APPLY TO DRY SKIN & LEAVE IT ON FOR 10 MINUTES TO HELP ELIMINATE IMPURITIES, UNCLOG PORES & HELP IMPROVE THE LOOK OF UNEVEN SKIN. I DO THIS ABOUT ONCE A FORTNIGHT. TRUST ME, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP TOUCHING YOUR SKIN AFTERWARDS.

FOR ADDITIONAL HYDRATION, ANTI-AGING BENEFITS & BRIGHTENING I PLAY WITH FACE MASKS. AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY MASKS & SO LITTLE TIME! I PERSONALLY PREFER MASKS THAT ARE A SOAKED MASK SHEETS, RATHER THAN A THICK CLAY BASE MASK. I AM CURRENTLY ALTERNATING BETWEEN THE SOCIÉTÉ REJUVENATING PEPTIDE GEL MASK, WHICH HYDRATES, PLUMPS & HAS ANTI-AGING INGREDIENTS. PLUS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE (THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ME BANG ON ABOUT ON MY INSTAGRAM) IS THE HD SYSTEM HYALURONIC DELIVERY MASQUE, WHICH TO ME IS MAGIC IN A MASK. IT HOLDS 1000 TIMES ITS WEIGHT IN WATER, BOOSTS COLLAGEN PRODUCTION, PROVIDES ANTIOXIDANTS & REDUCES WRINKLES... LITERALLY RIGHT BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES. I EVEN KEEP ANY LEFT OVER LIQUID FROM THE PACKET FOR DAYS WHEN I WAKE UP DEHYDRATED (LIKE AFTER TOO MANY RED WINES BY THE FIRE) & APPLY IT BEFORE MOISTURISER.

NOW THE ABOVE IS JUST A REGULAR ROUTINE. DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER VISITING A SKIN CARE SPECIALIST. WHETHER IT IS USING EXTRA ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS, WORKING ON CLEARING ACNE PRONE SKIN, ETC. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN, I RECOMMEND YOU SEE A SKIN CARE SPECIALIST FIRST, OR GET TESTERS OF THE PRODUCTS & TRY IT IN A SMALL AREA BEFORE COMMENCING A REGULAR ROUTINE.

ONCE A MONTH I VISIT THE LOVELY LADIES AT DERMAL DISTINCTION. IT'S THE TIME OF THE MONTH THAT YOU ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO (HA HA). I CHANGE IT UP EVERY TIME I VISIT, BUT MOST OFTEN I HAVE MICRODERMABRASION, A HYALURONIC FACIAL (MY FAVE MENTIONED EARLIER! I NEED TO FIND A GOOD DAILY PRODUCT WITH HYALURONIC ACID TO TAKE HOME), LED LIGHT THERAPY & MILD CHEMICAL PEELS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF EACH CHECK OUT MY PRE-VACAY PREP BLOG POST HERE.

NOW FOR THE BATH LOVERS, GREAT NEWS... HAVING A HOT BATH IS AMAZING FOR YOUR SKIN. GIVING YOUR FACE A GOOD STEAM BEFORE APPLYING PRODUCTS NOT ONLY FEELS AMAZING, IT OPENS UP YOUR POUR TO LET YOUR PRODUCTS REALLY SOAK IN. IF YOU ARE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH A PARTICULARLY STUBBORN PIMPLE, THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THAT SUCKER SORTED.

NOW FOR THE "OBVIOUS BUT HAS TO BE SAID" SEGMENT OF THIS BLOG POST; WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY WILL BE A REFLECTION IN YOUR COMPLEXION. DRINK SHIT LOADS OF WATER (8 GLASSES A DAY IS IDEAL) & INCLUDE LOTS OF SKIN FRIENDLY FRUITS & VEGETABLES IN YOUR DIET. I CAN VISIBLY SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN MY SKIN DEPENDING ON MY WATER INTAKE & MY DIET. YOU CAN EVEN GO ONE STEP FURTHER AS TAKE SUPPLEMENTS. I HAVE ONLY JUST STARTED ON THIS PATH, BUT I WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE RESULTS ONCE I HAVE USED THEM FOR A WHILE.

THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT I PROMISE YOU ONCE YOU START GETTING INTO THE ROUTINE IT WILL BECOME SECOND NATURE TO YOU.

SO TO RECAP & TO GIVE YOU A FEW EXTRA TIPS, HERE'S MY TOP TIPS FOR GLOWING SKIN:

1. ENSURE YOU KNOW YOU SKIN TYPE & CHOSE PRODUCTS TO REFLECT THIS.

2. DEVISE A DAILY ROUTINE OF CLEANSER, SERUMS, MOISTURISER & SPF PROTECTION FOR THE DAY.

3. STEAM CLEAN YOUR FACE WITH A BATH EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE A COUPLE PESKY PIMPLES POP UP.

4. FOR DEEPER APPROACH TO EXFOLIATION TRY LOTION P50W BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE THIS STUFF IS AMAZINGGGGGG. BUT I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN.

5. FOR AN EXFOLIATION SCRUB, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND KATE SOMMERTON EXFOLIKATE, WHICH ALSO SECONDS AS A FACE MASK WHEN YOU LEAVE IT ON FOR A FEW MINUTES.

6. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!

7. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, DON'T WEAR MAKEUP! THIS IS ONE OF THE LIFESTYLE CHANGES I ADAPTED TO & IT WAS THE FIRST STEP TO IMPROVING MY SKIN. I KNOW IT CAN BE HARD TO DO, IF YOU'RE USED TO ALWAYS COVERING YOUR FACE WITH FOUNDATION... BUT I PROMISE YOU AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS YOU WILL BEGIN TO LOVE THE FEELING & EVEN PREFER THE WAY YOU LOOK WITHOUT IT. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO SLOWLY START WEARING LESS, THEN MOVE ON TO TINTED MOISTURISERS & EVENTUALLY BARELY ANYTHING TO LET YOUR SKIN BREATHE. I USE HALF A PUMP OF NARS LAGUNA LIQUID BRONZER IN MY MOISTURISER, TO MAKE MY SKIN GLOW.

8. FOR THE TRAVELLERS, HYDRATION IS KEY! I SWEAR BY THE SISLEY EYE CONTOUR MASK FOR LONG HAUL FLIGHTS & THE JURLIQUE ROSEWATER BALANCING MIST TO FRESHEN UP ALONG THE WAY.

I WILL CONTINUE TO POST BITS & PIECES ON MY INSTAGRAM STORIES, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO DM ME :)

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ALL SEE A BETTER REFLECTION OF YOUR COMPLEXION.