.skin prep.

here are my favourite products for getting, maintaining and preparing perfect skin for life in general but also for the most flawless makeup application possible!

like the beautiful model above, i cant remember her name as this is from a shoot i did years ago but what i do remember is that she hardly needed any prep on her skin and made my job very easy indeed! lucky - slash- not fair.

so for us peeps who aren't as lucky and skin perfect as the beaut above then this is what i recommend -

.cleanser.

my two fave oil based cleansers are

eve lom cleanser £48 for 100ml

this one is great at removing all makeup, including waterproof mascara and has a blend of 4 essential oils that cleanse, tone, exfoliate and hydrate (very clever and many people become complete converts after their first use) but it does involve using a muslin cloth and doing three hot cloths followed by a cold cloth to finish and some people find it all a bit messy and annoying. though it does cut down your morning routine to just a splash of water and your moisturiser! great for all skin types including oily but i would say extra sensitive skin types its probs not the best.

shu uemura cleansing oil £27 for 15oml

this one is great at removing all makeup again and really simple and speedy to use, they have different ones for different skin types but the one above is my favourite as it contains antioxidants which is important for people living in the city surrounded by pollution and all the nasty things that can prematurely age skin.

.facial wash.

if you prefer a facial wash cleanser then the ones below are some of my favourites but i would recommend using a separate eye makeup remover before using any of these types of cleansers as most of them don't remove eye makeup very well and it can be too drying to use a facial wash round the delicate eye area

caudalie instant foaming cleanser £14.50 for 150ml

this one smells amazing and removes makeup really well (except eye makeup) it has softening and purifying properties without stripping the skin. this is great for all skin types apart from very dry skin.

jurlique balancing foaming cleanser £27 for 200ml

this cleanser comes in different ones for different skin types, its lovely because its 100% natural, very balancing and generally great!

.eye makeup remover.

i am very particular when it comes to eye makeup removers, they either sting your eyes, claim to remove waterproof makeup and then don't even budge your eyeshadow or just leave you with a big grey panda-eye mess!

i have two firm favourites, weirdly they vary in price by about £20!

natura bisse eye makeup remover £25 (roughly)

you can buy this online, it used to be sold at space nk but i fear they have stopped doing it! i spose its quite pricey for an eye makeup remover but truly is the nicest one i have ever used. it removes every last spec of eye makeup, even the most loaded-on waterproof mascara, but has the ph of a tear (!) so it is oh so gentle on your little eye bowls!

garnier clean and fresh gentle eye makeup remover £2.90 ish

so if you think the one above is a touch extravagant then this is the answer, its amazing! i do say that about all products i love but i cant believe something that costs so little is sooo good and effective, it removes everything and anything and doesn't sting your eyes at all!! trust me - go and buy it!

.exfoliator.

my fave everyday exfoliator is

clinique 7 day scrub cream £16.50 for 100ml

i love this! its gentle enough to use everyday, doesn't strip your skin because its a cream formula but still has lots of tiny beads to efficiently scrub away the dead skin cells.

.toner.

i have only just been converted to the world of toners after using one by darphin, i have not noticed much difference in the past but my skin has really improved since using this one and has made me realise the importance of tightening up my pores and toning the skin!

darphin intral toner £26 for 200ml

its great for all skin types, its decongesting and also very good for sensitive skin and skin prone to redness or rosacea.

kiehls ultra facial toner £16 for 250ml

this is another great toner for all skin types.

.serum.

a lot of people don't use serums and probably don't even know what one is, well i didn't until a couple years ago! but basically i would never go without now, it solved a big skin problem for me which was extremely dehydrated skin causing dry patches and uncomfortable tightness and so making me overload on moisturiser and having a greasy film of cream that didn't really sink in properly, making me use lots of setting powder through out the day and that's just annoying!

...anyhoo you can get serums to help with all sorts of skin issues; hydrating, anti-ageing, brightening, anti-redness to name but a few. you apply serum before your moisturiser, it is absorbed deeper in to the skin because it has a different molecular structure to moisturisers and so hydrates all your new skin waiting to come through to the surface. my two faves that are good for all skin types are

ren rose synergy o12 restoring facial serum £40 50ml

this one is particularly good for dry/ageing skins, its the first one i ever used that got me hooked on serums and is still probably my favourite.

caudalie pulpe vitaminee serum £35

this is a great one for all skin types, and especially those tackling the first signs of ageing or want to prevent any from coming! its packed full of antioxidants to protect the skin from further damage.

.eye cream.

i love a good eye cream, its one of the areas i'm most scared about the effects of ageing and there are many amazing ones out there. unfortunately for me, my favourite picks cost a fortune most of the time! you can get eye creams that do all sorts of great things like cool and awaken, de-puff, combat lines, dark circles etc. you can also get get eye serums but perhaps i wont go in to that now! below is my top expensive one and my top affordable one

natura bisse diamond extreme eye cream £125 for 25ml

yep loooaaads of money i know, but its really good. fab for all skin types, especially dry and ageing, it brightens and lifts and also it uses botanical extracts to enhance circulation and drain the eye area and therefore tackling dark circles and puffiness . it also strengthens the skin around the eye area, leaving you with perfect soft eye skin! i absolutely LOVE it, but have a small issue of not being rich enough to buy it!

ren lipovecter peptide eye cream £25 for 15ml

100% natural anti-ageing product, great light weight, yet hydrating cream, great for all skin types.

.moisturiser.

moisturiser is probably the most important skincare product and am slightly confused when people tell me they don't use one (?!)

i always take mine down to my neck and chest as this area is very sensitive to ageing, and once you crack you cant go back!! hahaha sorry that's awful! but in that area its true! i've just made myself feel sick.

so my favourite moisturisers are

jurlique balancing day care cream £52 for 125ml (also comes in smaller, cheaper tube)

100% natural, its my favourite! really good for all skin types, but maybe not very oily skin and for very dry skin there is an even more hydrating one.

ren moisterisers are very good, they are 100% natural and organic, affordable, and they cater for all different skin types, even ageing.

.treatments.

below are my favourite masks and weekly treatments for specific skin problems

dry, flaky, scarred, or uneven textured skin ?

if you find you have any rough patches or dead skin that that wont shift with your normal daily routine, or any scarring left from spots i recommend one of the two below, they are my absolute faves, they're ace! the dr brandt is an abrasive product that you scrub all over the face or just on the problem areas for 1 minute.

the elemental herbology is a mask that you leave on for 4 mins and it uses fruit acids to break the bonds between your new skin cells and your dead skin cells. both are very effective and will remove more layers of dead skin than your everyday product, its just down to personal preference of whether you want to actually scrub the skin or apply a mask.

you should use these products 1-2 times a week.

dr brandt microdermabrasion £63

elemental herbology facial glow £36.50 for 50ml

congested, oily, spot prone skin?

below are my favourite products for purifying and detoxing the skin if you have suffered from a breakout or want to just treat the skin once or twice weekly to make sure dont get one!

eve lom rescue mask £28 for 50ml

this mask is great for a really deep cleanse to detox but without drying as it contains honey to soften the skin. its also great for skin that is blotchy or puffy, and the fact that you remove the mask when its dry by rolling it off with your finger tips means you exfoliate too! i sometimes use it as an over night spot treatment too which i find very effective.

darphin aromatic purifying balm £38 for 15ml

this would be in my top five products ever i think, you can apply it to an area that already has a spot or and area that you can feel one about to pop up or even to the whole face and it will purify and heal the area in the speediest time ever, its very clever indeed! and doesnt dry out the skin like a lot of spot treatments do as its a balm. use it over night, normally two or three days in a row for me see the spot totally vanished.

ok so theres about a MILLION products i could tell you about but these are my all time faves! and should set anyone on their way to getting a perfect canvas for your makeup. oh one last product that i love love love is

caudalie beauty elixir £32 for 100ml

this can be used as your toner, after foundation but before powder to set the makeup and help it last longer, and also anytime through out the day to refresh you. it smells amazing, brightens the skin and really wakes you up if your feeling a bit sleepy! tis more of a luxery than a necesity but is lovely to have in your handbag.