Georgia Phelps Hello all! I hope you all enjoyed reading my last post and thank you for stopping by to read this one too.
I’ve had several requests recently to share my favourite skincare products that I use during the winter months so here’s a post dedicated to just that! Winter months are always frustrating because the skincare products that you generally tend to use just aren’t cutting it anymore and not only do you have to go out and buy another shit tonne of products but you’re also pretty stuck on what to buy in the first place. This is why I’m here to share my personal favourites and hopefully recommend a few new products to those of you who are unsure what to pick up on your shopping trip.
The mornings are frostier, the nights are darker and skin becomes a hell of a lot drier. Personally, my skin is stupidly dehydrated all year round anyway so I already use products that will add extra moisture into my skin to give it that plump, firm appearance. However, for those of you that have oily skin are probably soon going to start noticing a difference in your skin and it’s so important to listen to what your skin needs. If it feels thirsty, hydrate it!
It’s so important to know what kind of dry/dehydrated skin you have so that you’re able to find the correct products for you. If your skin has literally started to flake from your face then this means your skin type is currently DRY. We then have the term ‘dehydrated’ and this is where a lot of confusion lies. If your skin feels tight it means that it is lacking WATER. If your skin doesn’t feel tight, it’s lacking OIL. So many people see a slight dry area and assume that they need to chuck loads of oil on it but if it’s water your skin is craving, the oil won’t do much at all. My skin lacks water as although it looks dry (without flakiness) I still tend to get slightly oily areas around my nose and forehead mid-way through the day. For this reason, I use water-based products more frequently than oil-based ones. I do tend to use oils within my nighttime regime but will do a separate post all about that if people would like to learn about it (otherwise i’ll be here for ages now!)
Cleanser:
I currently use a few different cleansers depending on how much time I have, how much make-up i’m wearing or the texture I want my skin to be after cleansing.
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish – £15.50
I absolutely LOVE this product. My mum always use to talk about this like it was the best thing since sliced bread. I remember her giving me a bottle for Christmas a few years ago and as awful as it sounds, it sat in my drawer for ages before I even opened it. Once i’d used it once, I was completely hooked. It melts away every single ounce of make-up effortlessly and leaves your skin feeling perfectly cleansed without that ‘stripped’ feeling. My skin generally goes quite red after cleansing but this cleanser left my skin feeling supple and smooth due to it’s gentle texture.
Loreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water – £4.99
This cleansing water is perfect for those who are in a rush. I typically don’t tend to reach for micellar waters as in the past, they’ve dried my skin out or have made my skin feel too ‘squeaky clean’ and pure. This however, doesn’t do this whatsoever. Whilst easily removing all make-up (including waterproof eye make-up and liquid lipsticks) it leaves skin feeling gently cleansed and smooth. Again, my common redness doesn’t occur with this product and it also doesn’t leave any residue on the skin. It simple just removes make-up without altering your skin type.
Toner:
In all honestly, I really don’t feel like toners do anything spectacular to my skin so i’m guilty of 90% of the time, skipping this step. However, I do have one toner that i’ve always enjoyed using as an extra step in my routine so i’ll include it for those of you who may want to know.
Clarins Toning Lotion – £20.50
This is the only toner that i’ve ever re-purchased as I simply just liked the smooth finish it gave my skin. As I mentioned, toners aren’t really a thing for me and ones that I have tried in the past have irritated my skin massively. For that reason, I prefer to avoid them if I can. This toner literally does exactly what it says on the bottle, it’s so comforting on the skin and almost feels cool during and after application.
Serum:
Serum’s are hands down, my favourite skincare product to use. They honestly do absolute wonders for dry or dehydrated skin. My favourite one is quite high in price so i’ll include an inexpensive option too for those who don’t want to spend a crazy amount of money.
Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum – £59 (30ml), £78 (50ml)
This serum is one of my all-time favourite skincare items on the market. It is high in price but in my opinion, it’s so worth every single penny. My skin feels incredible every time I use this product. It’s a lightweight gel texture which means that it sits beautifully on the skin without feeling heavy or dragged down. It restores, protects and re-energises the skin giving it a lit-from-within radiance and make-up sits perfectly on top of it.
Sanctuary Revitalising Super Serum – £17.50
As high street budget serums go, this one isn’t half bad. I do feel that with serums, it is worth spending a little bit more money which is why the Chanel one is my favourite as you really do get what you pay for. However, in terms of a cheaper alternative, I really like this Sanctuary one. I noticed a difference in my skin after roughly 2 weeks of using it every day (morning and night) and my normal dehydrated skin was smoother, plumper and held make-up a lot easier and longer. My skin also definitely appeared brighter after just one use.
Moisturiser:
Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Creme – £50
I know that again it’s on the pricey side, but I LOVE this moisturiser. Mine recently ran out and it was heartbreaking to scrape the last little bits out from the bottom of the container. I can’t wait to re-purchase my next one when pay day arrives because it’s been horrible not having it on my dressing table to reach for each morning. This moisturiser is of course, a lot like the serum that I discussed above but it’s slightly thicker. It smells identical (that incredible apricot scent that makes me weak at the knees) and sinks into the skin beautifully. My skin always looks plumper and more hydrated, instantly. This means my make-up sits better and wears for longer throughout the day.
Garnier Moisture Bomb Night Cream – £7.99
This moisturiser was honestly my bargain find of the year. It’s the closest alternative I’ve ever been able to find for the Chanel Hydra Beauty range and is so reasonably priced. The moisture that’s packed into this product is so intense and makes such a difference to the skin straight away. I tend to use the night cream as my day cream as it’s got a slightly lighter and more gel-like texture than the day cream. I prefer this type of cream to sit underneath my make-up as apposed to an oily texture as I find it makes my make-up sit better. This makes skin feel plumper, firmer and instantly appears more radiant.
I’m going to wrap this post up there as it’s already been pretty lengthy and although I was going to talk about masks too, there’s no possible way I can narrow it down to just two so i’m going to create a separate post about masks instead.
Thank you so much for sticking around and reading this long ass post and i’ll be back soon with another post.
If you’ve enjoyed this skin care post, let me know! I love hearing all of your opinions on my posts and any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Georgia x
