Morning Skincare Routine

Hello lovelies!

I've noticed that a post that has been floating around beauty blogs recently has been that of the skincare routine. I personally love these posts, because it's great to see what people are using to combat certain problems and therefore make the best possible choices for my skin. Having skin that not only appears flawless (thank you foundation!) but that is also healthy is one of my obsessions. Afterall, your skin is the canvas that you work with, and it's important to take care of it in your youth so that you have no regrets later in life.

I'm going to do a two part skincare post on my morning and night routines, as well as including some of my weekly "treats" I like to indulge in. Without further ado, my morning routine...

Unless I'm in a rush, I usually use six products on my face in the morning. I tend to stick to things that are light, sink in quickly so that I don't have to wait before applying my makeup, and promise to keep my skin hydrated and moisturized during the day.

The above picture includes all of my current morning skincare routine products, in the order of use from left to right.

1. Cleansing Lotion: Because I wash my face thoroughly at night, I don't always feel the need to go at it again in the morning (and I am NOT the kind of person who enjoys splashing water into my face in the early morning...no thanks!) What I prefer to use is cleansing lotion, which softly replenishes the moisture in your face while removing any impurities or left over traces of makeup. I just apply it to a cotton pad and work it around my face. I am currently using the Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion, which is a very gentle and unscented option, and cheap to boot (£2.99 at Boots). I also love the Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream (£3.99).

2. Face Wipes: When I'm finished with the cleansing lotion, I like to remove the excess and refresh my skin with face wipes. Face wipes can be super cheap or quite expensive, but I'm not particularly partial - I just like my wipes to be soft on the skin and sufficiently moist. I'm currently using the Good Things Total Wipeout Raspberry and Cranberry wipes (£3.49 at Boots), which smell amazing and seem to be doing a good job. I'm planning a face wipe review in the near future to give my opinion on some other winners and losers in that department.

3. Toning Water: I find toning water a little more hydrating than a toner, and I am loyal to LUSH's Eau Roma Water (100mL £3.95/$9.95, 250mL £7.50/$21.95). It reduces redness and hydrates the skin beautifully. I usually look for rosewater toners, because of its gentle astringent properties and pleasant scent. You can apply it with a cotton pad, but I choose to spritz it on my face and pat it into my skin so as not to waste product. It just leaves you feeling so refreshed and dewy.

4. Moisturizer: I'm very picky with my morning moisturizer, because when I'm in a rush, I want a cream that sinks into my skin and doesn't sit on my face. I find most potted day creams are too heavy, so I usually look for emulsions or lighter options. I absolutely love the Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturizer and Serum (£5.99 at Superdrug, but currently on offer for £2.98). This moisturizer is super light, sinks in beautifully, and smells and feels high end. The scent is delicious and light, very fruity and probably attributable to its kiwi and mulberry extracts. I also am loving the Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream (£28.50/$42.00), which is a great all purpose cream for day and night and isn't too heavy.

5. Lip Scrub: No one likes dry, flaky lips when you go to apply lipstick! I start the lip rehydration process with my LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub. I think this chocolatey flavour is discontinued, but you can still purchase Mint Julips, Bubble Gum, and Popcorn for £5.50/$9.95. This is a gentle lip scrub that can be licked off, as sugar is one of the main ingredients. It's a great way to rid your lips of dry flaky skin.

6. Lip Balm: I need to coat my lips in non-greasy lip balm, because I find that heavier lip balms make lipstick application difficult. My current love is Haus of Gloi's Exotic Rose. Haus of Gloi is an AMAZING homemade vegan skincare company based out of Oregon...I'll rave about them at a later date. Their lip balms are seasonally released and always come in unique and delicious flavours. They are very moisturizing without being too heavy. You can still snag some of their spring release lip balms for $3.50 at http://www.hausofgloi.com/products/lip-balms. Alternatively, I find the classic Burt's Bees Lip Balm (£3.70/$3.29) does the job nicely, if you don't mind the tingle. I love the Grapefruit flavoured one!

And that's that! What does your morning skincare routine look like?

xo hannah