April Skincare Picks

I thought I'd share some of my favourite beauty picks for April and funnily enough they all turned out to be skincare. Now, I try and invest in my skin when I can, I have always taken care of my face (ever since my mum first mixed me up some rosewater and witch hazel toner when I was in my very early teens) I've always felt it's important to look after your skin and I try to be as good as I can with it. I slipped up in my later teenage years with sun damage, although I only got badly burnt once (right at the end of high school, hence all my leaving photos, preserved for posterity, show me beaming out of the back row with a beetroot red bonce. Shame!) I try and make sure I always use a high factor sun screen these days as I burn more easily and my face has lost that teenage ability to bounce back from whatever you do to it. I used factor 50 on my face on my holiday and tried to wear a hat and/or avoid the sun at its highest point.

I don't like to use alcohol based products on my skin if I can avoid it as I've found on me, it can lead to broken capillaries and a ruddy look (I do have quite sensitive skin) so it was always the rosewater and witch hazel I reached for if I ever had a break out when I was younger. I wish I still had the bottle my mum put it in, it was a blue glass vintage bottle with a really unusual lable design (I'll have to ask mum!) That was my first major skin routine, I also remember having a skin care party for a birthday one year and feeling incredibly grown up finally getting to put all these different lotions and creams on my face. 

These days, it takes a little extra to make my skin look nice and I don't believe you have to spend a fortune on really pricey anti-ageing potions to get a good effect! Of course it's nice to buy the best you can afford but I am not a snob when it comes to a cheaper product either. I use 98p Wilko's makeup remover, I actually use the cleansing lotion which is really calming on my skin, non greasy and just as effective as the £6 Simple equivalent. Happy days!

I was recently sent through some Boots Advantage Card vouchers and of course I am a sucker for anything to get me some points so I bought a couple of products that I had coupons for to boost my points balance (I wanted to buy a brush kit, which I have now done, after collecting my points since Christmas!) There were points to be had for purchases from No.7 and Botanics, so I picked up the No.7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser, to try and also the Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day and Night creams.

The No.7 product is quite nice, the smell is a little artificial but it foams up really well and I use this after I've wiped off most of my make up to get a good cleanse. It could also be used first thing in the morning too, but I tend to use my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish dupe-from Superdrug-in the morning. (This wonder product deserves a post of it's own!) I have found it can make my skin a little tight, so would be good for a greasier skin, but no use for dry skin. I think this cost around £7.

The Botanics creams are quite simply, AMAZING. When I bought them they had a third off which made them around the £5/6 mark, I can't remember! They contain brightening hibiscus, and the day cream has an SPF 15 (a deal breaker on a day cream, I only buy it if it has an SPF.) They are so lovely, they have made my skin look fab, and definitely evened my skin tone out and made my face look brighter. They will definitely be re-purchased once I've used them up; I love everything about them both; the smell, the texture (the day cream is light and silky, the night cream thicker and more hydrating) and most of all the changes they've made to my skin, all for very little cost-wise. No crazy priced face creams for me!

I also managed to find, lurking in the back of a cupboard, this Dior Time Fighting Hand Creme. As much as I am good with my face, I am dreadful with my hands, which are really dry because I suffer with a condition called Pomphlox, which is a horrible affliction which means that I get nasty blisters on my hands, particularly badly at night or as a reaction to jewellery (I can't wear any base metal jewellery for this reason.) The blisters are super itchy so I scratch my hands to bits (often in my sleep, I have resorted to sleeping with socks on my hands to prevent myself doing it, or Adrian wakes me up to stop me!) and then the itching makes the blisters worse, so I scratch and scratch until they are bleeding and weeping-hideous. As a result of this, the skin regenerates more thickly and gets very dry. I use a hydrocortisone to treat it and avoid fragranced handcreams, I usually use E45 but this Dior one, whilst pricey (I bought it in the sale from a Dior counter and it was still over a tenner-eek!) seems to be gentle enough not to set me off on another round of scratching, and it also helps the dryness.

Finally I have to rave about this Flawless Skin Primer from bargain brand MUA. If you've not heard of MUA, it can be found in most Superdrug stores and their range is fantastic. I recently bought the "Undressed" palette, 12 super-pigmented eyeshadow shades for £4! Amazing! This primer was £5 but it was on offer in Superdrug for £3 so I bought it and I love it. I use it over my moisturiser, and under a BB cream to really set my face and give the BB cream a bit of staying power. It's a slightly richer consistency than most primers so it doesn't dry my face out, and I can't fault it at all, especially at such a bargain price. Definitely worth checking out the range next time you're in Superdrug!

Hope you enjoyed my skincare picks! Which skincare items can't you live without?

XO Amie

Oh! One more thing! Have you "liked" my Facebook page? Click here if you want Credit Crunch Chic on your Facebook feed! XO