It’s been a while since I wrote a Skincare Sunday post hasn’t it? My skin had a bit of a blip a few months ago, and wasn’t at it’s best. I think hormones and stress were to blame, but it meant that I had to do a bit of a reshuffle in terms of my skincare regime and I’ve discovered some new favourites whilst doing it! Plus the current lockdown has given me an opportunity to really amp up my skincare routine and to be honest, my skin is looking really well at the minute if I do say so myself so it’s obviously working…

It’s not a secret that I’m a cleanser junkie. Taking my make up off after a long day is one of the most satisfying feelings ever for me. Emma Hardie’s Moringa Cleansing balm will always be an all time favourite of mine but lately I’ve found a new love in the form of the new limited edition offering from Alpha H – their Balancing Cleanser with Damask rose*. This creamy cleanser smells beautiful (very light scent) and feels really luxurious on the skin. It’s packed with vitamin e, rose and aloe vera to hydrate, soothe and cleanse the skin without stripping it. It feels like a real treat to work into the skin and I’m left feeling hydrated and very clean after each use. Another winner from this brand for me.

I had wanted to try some bits from the Inkey List for ages but was on a self imposed spending ban. The brand’s ethos is to cut through the waffling skincare jargon and provide simply named products based on skincare’s most wanted ingredients. I decided to treat myself to a little online order a few months back and one of the products I picked up was their Collagen Booster serum. Collagen is one of the most important natural proteins of the skin and as the skin ages it depletes, so I picked this up to add to my routine (pre-emptively of course). Collagen helps with the elasticity and firmness of the skin and really helps deliver a plumped complexion which is never a bad thing. I put two to three drops of this very light, non-sticky serum directly on to clean skin each morning and night. My skin drinks it up quickly and feels really comfortable after use.

I’ve been trying to do masks once or twice a week to get my skin back to where it was and it’s a nice way to spend a lockdown evening. One of my favourite discoveries has been the Cucumber Tonic mask from Mario Badescu. First up it smells incredible, really fresh and clean. The texture is a silky, smooth cream that tightens once applied due to the clay content. The mask is designed to deeply cleanse the skin of impurities and excess oils whilst soothing and fighting redness. Once removed my skin feels really clean, refreshed and hydrated which is rare for a clay mask for me. It’s one that’s definitely going into the permanent rotation.

I love a good retinol product but I can be weary of the stronger retinols in case my skin reacts. I thought that the lockdown period was the perfect chance to trial a stronger retinol and see how my skin coped, if it was bad, then at least I would have time to fix it without having to go face the world. I incorporated Drunk Elephant’s A-Passioni Retinol Cream into my evening routine just once a week to begin with to see how I got on. This particular retinol product immediately felt stronger than anything I had previously used in the past (it has 1% potency). And now, even after several weeks of use, I only bring this product out twice a week because it is so active. If you have sensitive skin, in all likelihood this isn’t going to be for you, but if your skin is used to more active products, I thnk you could really enjoy this and see some great results. The retinol really promotes cell turnover (which you may notice with some flaking of the skin when you first begin using it), so after use, my skin looks brighter and fresher. Retinol is also said to boost collagen production as well as reduce dark spots, so I’m going to plough on with this product and aim to use it three times per week. I can definitely see an improvement in terms of my skin’s overall brightness as well as a reduction in the dark spots around my nose.

The final recent discovery on my list comes in the form of this Kiwi Seed Gold Luminous eye cream from Antipodes*. Antipodes is a brand that I have really fallen in love with over the past few years and have yet to find a product from them that I don’t like. This eye cream is thicker than what I would usually use and for that reason, I tend to use it in my evening routine. It contains 23 carat soluble gold flakes which really do add a noticeable luminosity and glow to the eye area. I find the cream to be really hydrating and nourishing whilst soothing and calming the area.

Have you discovered any new skincare loves in lockdown? Tell me in the comments!

Thanks for reading.

Lynsey xox

Products marked * are PR products that have been gifted to me for review. I am under no obligation to post about these products and as always, all opinions are 100% my own.