Good Morning! Good Night! Current Skin Care Routines.

CLEANSE
Sukin Sensitive Skin Cleansing Gel : $9.99 available from www.priceline.com.au
There is totally no need for harsh cleansers on your skin in the morning, you have just been sleeping for a good 8hours (hopefully!) so its not like there is going to much to cleanse off anyway. The Sukin Sensitive Cleansing Gel is so gentle and soothing it massages into your skin and feels so silky. Sukin has no synthetic fragrances and no minerals which brings a huge smile to my face - because seriously you don't need your cleanser to smell like anything and fragrance is the most common ingredient that will make you break out!

TONE
Origins Purifying Tonic : $39.00 available from www.kitcosmetics.com.au
Ok so excuse me while I nerd out on my favourite topic : Organic Skin Care. Willow Bark is a natural ingredient which is extremely soothing but also a natural source of Salicylic Acid! Which is a form of exfoliant, after cleansing I wipe the Origins Purifying Tonic all over my face with a cotton round. I've found this has helped with dry spots and also redness and discolouration left from old spots.

MOISTURIZE
Embryolisse Lait Creme Concerntrate : $32.00 available from www.makeupandglow.com.au
So frenchy - So chic! This moisturizer is commonly used by Makeup Artists to prep models skin before shows, also Lisa Eldridge uses so it must be good. It applies really smoothly and doesn't take forever to sink into the skin leaving a dewy finish. I like it and I think it is a good moisturizer but apart from hydrating there isn't many other benefits to this product, no SPF or super vitamins. But great under makeup if you are going for a night out.

CLEANSE
Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser : $15.40 available from www.chemistwarehouse.com.au
Clarisonic Mia : $204.00 available from www.feelunique.com
My cleansing power couple are still going strong, nothing is even comparable to the combination of Cetaphil's Oily Skin Cleanser and my Clarisonic Mia, it leaves your skin so soft and also any product I use after cleansing will sink into my skin so much more effectively. I found that using the Clarisonic in the morning didn't work for me because it opened my pores too much letting makeup in making me break out but using it at night time is perfect.

SKIN SERUM
La Mav Antioxidant Rich Nightly Repair Nectar : $69.95 available from www.lamav.com
You know you love a product when it gets forgotten for a couple of days and you notice you skin is lacking in softness. Waking up in the morning after applying the Nightly Repair Nectar my skin is plump and super hydrated, don't be scared of oils in your skin care routine if you have naturally oily skin. Oils can balance your skin out so your skin doesn't feel the need to overly produce natural oils through out the day. Which is great! No more oily T-Zone freak out mid afternoon.

EYES
The Body Shop Elderflower Eye Gel : $17.00 available from www.thebodyshop.com.au
Heads up..... Get an eye cream. The skin around your eyes is thinner than anywhere else on your body it needs a little extra TLC. The Body Shop's Elderflower Eye Gel is super cooling and putting it on feels incredible it is also super hydrating which what an eye cream should be all about. Also FYI no cream will take away wrinkles or lines its impossible! A good eye cream should hydrate and plump the skin around the eye area so that wrinkles and lines are less obvious and your makeup wont crease.

LIPS
Lucas Paw Paw Ointment : $4.40 available from www.chemistwarehouse.com.au
My relationship with Lucas Paw Paw ointment is longer than any boyfriend I have ever had, we have been going steady since my mum put it on my bum for nappy rash. Applying lip balm before bed is a really good habit to get into, during the day you just eat it off. Letting it absorb into your lips overnight is far more effective.

This routine is surely going change - it always does!

I'm curious..does your skin care routine differ morning and night or am I just a crazy skin care junkie?

xoxo Nella

Face Masks

Lots of friends have requested I do a post on face masks, they were all confused about what type would make a difference to their skin. There are masks for all different skin complaints, the main 3 things are exfoliation, hydration and purifying. Face masks can be very expensive, a lot of brands price them higher than say a moisturizer because of the levels of specialty ingredients in them are higher than an everyday product making them intense. If you know what you are looking for in the ingredients then you don't have to spend a tone of money on a mask. So here you go babes, the skinny on all things masked.

EXFOLIATING:

In a mask the exfoliation comes in the form of chemical exfoliants which break down dead skin cells on the top two surface layers of skin. I would not go for this type of mask if you have acne prone skin or are having any kind of crazy purging blemishes. I use an exfoliating mask once a fortnight because my cleansing routine is quite exfoliating already, but if you are regular gel cleanser face wash babe then you could up using a mask like this to 2-3 times per week. 

Ingredients to look for:

Alpha Hydroxide, AHA'S, Glycolic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxymethylglycinate, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid,Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil,Phenoxyethanol,

Best of the bunch:

Ren Glycolatic Radiance Renewal Mask $66.00

HYDRATING:

If your skin is feeling as dry as a crocodile skin Birkin - a hydrating mask is exactly what you need. I love hydrating masks after having a long hall flight when your skin feels really blah and zapped of nutrients, also if you work in an air-conditioned office this would be great for you. They pep up your skin and make you feel like you have given your skin a cosmetic version of a gatorade.

Ingredients to look for:

Linoleic Acid, Vitamins A,C,E, Rose water, Glycerin, Aloe, Sucrose, Coconut oil, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Cross-polymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerid, Hexylene Glycol

Best of the bunch:

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque  $39.50

Origins Drink Up Overnight Mask $45.00

PURIFYING:

Yesterday my skin had a massive freak out, it was a blemish pizza face party for one and I was mortified about it. In the above photo I am trying to zap those zits with the Aésop Parsley Seed Masque.  If you have topical blemishes which are caused from blocked or irritated pores (not the big sore underground blemishes - those are hormonal - soz!) then you are going to want to dry them out a little and also draw out any impurities from your pores so you don't get even MORE ZITS!

Ingredients to look for:

Evening primrose oil, Phenoxyethanol, Lavendula Angustifolia, Alcohol Denat, Parsley seed oil/extract, Titanium oxide, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate, Kaolin

Best of the bunch:

Aésop Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask $39.00

Natio Clay and Plant Mask $14.50