SKINCARE ADDED EXTRAS

If you saw my Daily Skincare - Back to Basics post you'll have seen all the usual bits that I use from day to day, but I do quite like to shake it up a bit.

Sometimes I find the Lush Ultrabland cleanser can get a bit too rich for my skin, but I still like to use a creamy cleanser so I can get a good massage in there. My next port of call is the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk - it's not stripping at all, but it's also not as thick and hydrating as Ultrabland, it's a good middle ground. It's brilliant for sensitive skin, and my skin really drinks up all it's goodness, leaving it fresh and cleansed.

When any dry patches get a little too much or my skin is looking particularly dull I'll whack out the REN Micro Polish Cleanser. It really buffs away at any nasties and washes away the dead cells, nice. I love the effect this has, my skin looks super radiant straight after using it. I've recently been trying out The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion* exfoliator which is a little more harsh than this, but it's only the early stages!

Once or twice a week depending how my skin looks, I skip the Origins toner and opt for the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Toner. Packed with AHA's this gets rid of the dead cells sitting on the skin leaving a smoother, brighter complexion. It's super gentle, doesn't hurt, tingle, burn or anything else you'd associate with an acid. I still follow this step with the Lush Toner Water though, to give my skin that boost of hydration it needs after taking away the top layer.

I have a couple of serums on the go at the moment - Biotherm's Deep Serum and YSL Forever Light Creator - but I've been loving the MyChelle G2 Instant Firming Serum*. It smells a bit funky, incredibly floral (however it's all natural, no perfume!) but it makes my moisturisers smooth on so much easier and my skin feels thoroughly hydrated and smooth. I tend to use it in the evening, but I'm going to give it a go during the day soon.

I love using oils post-serum, pre-moisturiser - skin depending and if I'm feeling a little clogged, I miss this step out. The Body Shop's Vitamin E Facial Oil* is so lovely! It's quite light weight for an oil but it really packs a punch and is essential after a cleansing/clay mask. I can definitely tell a difference when this one gets left behind as it seems to even out my skin a little more and feelings really soothing.


So these are my most used skincare products - I have far too many to put into two posts, but these have really stood out to me. What are your must have skincare products?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

REN HYDRA-CALM CLEANSING MILK

If you saw in my Evening Skincare Routine post, you'll have found out that I've slightly fallen for this baby, that is the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk. Before this, I'd never used a cleansing milk, balms, creams, water, you name it - I've tried it, but milks were a category I wasn't well acquainted with.

It feels very lotion-like until you massage this into your skin and the warmth turns it milky. Not until you look like you're sat under a cows udder, don't worry, but more like when I balm turns oily. It's incredibly soothing - there's nothing I like more than giving my face a good ol' massage and making sure all the hydrating goodness gets soaked in. It removes makeup effortlessly and very gently - usually, I can really feel when a cleanser is removing everything, but with this it was more of a "is it actually taking anything away?!" situation.
I like to remove it with a flannel and afterwards my skin feels very soft, supple and super clean but in no way 'squeeky clean' which I love. It just feels hydrated and fresh.

The scent leaves something to be desired, but having sensitive skin this is something I'm not unfamiliar with, at the end of the day, if it does the job, that's what matters!

What do you think to REN Hydra-Calm? Are you a bit clueless when it comes to milks and balms? Let me know!


You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE

When the evening begun and my eyes began to droop, the last thing I ever wanted to do was give myself a facial to remove the days wear, so more often than not I'd reach for the baby wipes and scrub my skin red and be done with it. But over the last few months my skincare collection has grown and improved, baby wipes out the window and the quest for healthy looking skin is in full force.

Let me just start by saying I have dehydrated, combination skin which is fairly sensitive and currently rather blemish prone. These products might not work for you, but I think they're all pretty fantastic.

If I'm wearing something heavy duty on the eyes, I don't hesitate to reach for my Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover which melts away any grime effortlessly and efficiently. On the more natural days my Bioderma works just fine, which I then use to remove the main bulk off of my face.
Next in the spotlight comes the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk - a new addition to the stash but I can see it lurking there for a long, long time. Removing any last traces of makeup and dirt it leaves my skin feeling clean, fresh and silky soft whilst being incredibly gentle. If my skin is a little more blemish-y and dry I'll go for my Lush Ultrabland balm cleanser, massage it into my skin and leave it for a few minutes before buffing it off with a flannel. I'll use a quick swipe of my Origins United States toner to balance my skin if it's having a good day, if it's a bit more oily I'll go for the Zero Oil version. I think it's so important to listen to your skin and change up products if you need too. Toners are a step that is yet to be perfected, Hirons, I'm coming for you!

I love using an oil to add a moisture boost however for me, less is definitely more and I've been using the Superdrug Vitamin E Oil for a while. I find it so easy to use too much which can leave my skin feeling incredibly heavy and like I need to cleanse again, which is the last thing you want. I'll warm a couple of drops between my palms and kind of press it onto my skin - I'm not sure why, but I saw it somewhere and I cannot stop doing it like this! Finally I'll warm some of my Simple Rich Moisturiser up in my palms and massage it into my face and neck and I'm ready for bed feeling clean, refreshed and totally relaxed...


What's your skincare routine like? Get the baby wipes thrown out, you don't need them ;). Send me links to your posts/videos!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

THE MASK LOW DOWN

Until about 4 months ago, I didn't do masks. I've no idea why, they just didn't seem necessary and I didn't really know what I was looking for. But I sat myself down and did my research and after a while testing and trying products, I've narrowed it down to these three being the only masks you'll need.  (*Note, I said need.. but let's be honest, we all need just one more pair of shoes, or one more nail varnish, so go crazy!)

There's three things I need to happen to my skin and that's a deep cleanse, a good exfoliation and a good dose of hydration. We've all heard everyone and their mother talk about the Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask by Origins, and for me, it really lives up to it's status. The charcoal works like a magnet to scoop up all that dirt and grime that gets trapped in our skin and gives it a really deep clean. I have quite sensitive skin, but I don't find this irritates me too much at all, but if you're a bit weary, definitely do your research to find a more gentle mask. A cheaper alternative that I've heard many good things about is the Una Brennan Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask (mouthful or what..).

For me, getting a good glow and healthy look going is essential and for this step, I've been turning to the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. Unlike 'manual' exfoliators that can leave your face looking a bit red and sore by being too abrasive, this uses natural fruit acids to chomp away at any dryness that may be lurking. It's also fantastic for scarring and fine lines, but I've never had to battle with these (touch wood!). I honestly do not think I'd be able to live without this, and once my samples are gone, which last for aaaages, I will without a doubt be purchasing. Not recommended for super sensitive skin, but I get along just fine.

If you find the above masks dry your skin a little, you could use an oil to give it a bit of moisture, but I want a full on hose pipe of hydration. I like to slather on a good layer on the cult Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask just before bed. I give it a chance to sink in so I don't end up with it all over my pillow and in the morning I'm still left with residue but my skin is looking plump and supple. And don't worry if you don't have dry skin! Mine is normal/combination but rather dehydrated and this still gives my skin that boost it needs. If you think this could be a little rich for you, turn your eyes to their Drink Up 10 Minute Mask - a quick fix version of this that still does a fantastic job.

Now I must stress, these products work for me. It does NOT mean it will work for you. Do a little research into other similar products and give them a whirl!

What are your favourite masks? Bit of a mask junkie or a mask-o-phobe?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

REN Micro Polish Cleanser

If you saw my London Haul, which you can find here, you will have seen I picked the REN Micro Polish Cleanser up from Space NK just a few weeks ago. I'll be honest, it takes me a while to find products that I REALLY love, but honestly, you really do see instant results from the product! Potential holy grail, I think..

It's quite difficult to squeeze out the tube, I think, giving the impression it'll be a really dense, abrasive exfoliator, but as soon as your fingers touch together it instantly turns very mousse like. I prefer to damp my face before using this so when you start to massage this into your skin it turns very creamy, milky and sliiiightly foamy. The particles in the scrub do feel quite big but it's not scratchy at all and gently buffs away at any dry/dead skin you may have. Commonly with 'Radiance Boosting' products, I find them to be a little drying but this is nothing of the kind. Even whilst massaging this in my skin feels moisturised and isn't left with that squeaky clean feeling at all.

The cleanser is packed full of citrus oils and fruit extracts which occasionally can irritate my sensitive skin, but again, I had no sensitivity or redness at all and it smells freaking amazing. It really does work from the first wash - my sister who knows nothing at all about skincare said to me "your face looks...clean and bright.." after I used this, which is pretty impressive to hear that from her. I tend to use this 2/3 times a week as I don't want to over exfoliate and it never lets me down.

At £20 a pop, I think it's quite affordable, especially from REN and I'll DEFINITELY repurchase when I run out! What do you think? Do you have any favourite products from REN? I'm considering picking up the AHA Concentrate..

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

The Friday Facial - Pre-Birthday Prep

So if you follow me on Twitter (@hayleybethadams) you will have seen a hefty load of tweets regarding my excitement for my birthday on Saturday. I'm a right big kid and LOVE birthday's and Christmas'. I'm ridiculously excited to open a cute, gift-wrapped box from Mike - I'm a sucker for pretty things. I'm going out on the Friday night and I really want to have amazing, HYDRATED skin as I know all the goodness will be sucked straight out by Saturday morning, so to accompany this, I'll have a post coming up on all the products that my face will be sluuuurping up.
As you can see, I took advantage of the sunny day and took aaaall my pictures outside for you all to see.

I'm going to be starting the whole shabang with a new product, but one that is pretty much already a holy grail - my REN Micro Polish Cleanser. It's amazing at sloughing off all the dead skin and revealing a glowy, radiant face. Perfect prep for yet another new product, the Lush Dream Steam Steamer Tab. This step is optional, but one I'm excited to do! I've never really steamed my face but after being sold on the essential oils these pack, it seems like the perfect time.
Staying with the glow-boosting theme, I'll be trying out the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask. Claiming to combat congestion, blemish and improve the skin tone, this is EXACTLY what I need. My skin hasn't been on it's best behaviour, so I'm welcoming any congestion buster! Once this is removed, I'll wipe the Clarins Daily Energizer toner over my skin to remove any last traces of dirt before putting on my Origins 10 Minute Mask to rehydrate after the potentially drying REN mask.
I'll slick on a very tiny layer of the uber-hydrating Marula Oil whilst me and Essie Muchi Muchi have a little nail time.

After a few hours of R&R, I'll run a cotton pad of Bioderma over my skin to provide a clean, oil free base so my makeup doesn't slide straight off. I'm not 100% sure which moisturiser I'll be using just yet, but Origins VitaZing, I have my eye on you!


What do you think to my facial?! I'm really looking forward to giving my skin a good ol' pamper! Look out for my hydration boosting facial tomorrow - it will be much needed!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER.