Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

i'm a firm believer that if you aren't clued up with what products work for your skin, or if you're neglecting your skin of some tlc, your makeup will not have the desired effect. i wish i had skin as smooth and blemish free as that of a baby's bottom but i don't.. my skin is very tricky and i have to be careful with the products i use in order to maintain a 'normal' condition. in the winter time my skin can be very dry and in the summer it is oily, particularly in my T zone. i have some scarring on my cheeks from blemishes in the past and i am very fussed about how deep my pores seem. so, i needed a skincare regime which smoothed over my skin and generally balanced it out well. previously an avid dermalogica fan, i used to use the dermal clay cleanser... purely because my mum did... blunder no.1. it was very harsh on my skin and dried it out ridiculous amounts, however, i then switched to the special cleansing gel which i did like a lot but still didn't feel as though it was giving my skin the oomph that it needed, i still found myself breaking out big time and didn't feel squeaky clean after using it... after my skincare routine i always want to feel as though there is not a scrap of dirt or makeup from the day. so yes, following this i would use the active moist which i cannot fault to be honest. it is extremely light and soaks in quickly without leaving any form of greasy film, so i would recommend the active moist to anyone. i will cut to the chase because i am RAMBLING. essentially, i was at university, having used up my dermalogica and with the worst skin ever. needless to say, i wanted a revamp. 

the liz earle range is highly praised in the beauty blogging and youtube community it seems, so i took a little peep onto the website to see what the fuss was about. i have a friend who used to work at the liz earle factory, packing all the glorious lotions and potions, and she always recommended the cleanse and polish. i don't know why i didn't listen to her sooner because she has outstanding skin. anyway, on the website there was a deal, called the june essentials collection or something along those lines.. it was £41 for the cleanse & polish hot cloth cleanser (100ml), instant boost skin tonic (200ml) and the skin repair moisturiser (50ml). along with this you received a free gentle face exfoliator (70ml) and three or four muslin cloths. this purchase is probably one of the best i've made all year. the cleanser is so gentle on my skin and then i gently buff it off with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water. i do this after i've used makeup remover and its astonishing how much residue is left on my skin and becomes apparent on the muslin cloth. following this, i slosh some of the tonic onto a cotton pad and wipe it over my face, removing any left over cleanser and further cleaning off any more dirt or makeup. now, i never used to use toner.. i think i was in the mindset that older ladies did it, god only knows why... regardless, now i'm hooked and will never look back. it leaves your skin feeling unbelievably fresh and relieves any tightness that i tend to get after cleansing. it's glorious. after using the skin tonic i use the moisturiser which i have in 'normal/combination' and only use a five pence piece sized amount which goes a long way. i also think it's really important to moisturise your neck because frankly, i'd rather not have a beautifully youthful face and saggy neck when my skin starts to mature.. whilst this moisturiser is lovely, i have a feeling it is a little too heavy for me as it doesn't soak in as fast as the aforementioned active moist by dermalogica. so i think once i have used it up i may go on the hunt for a moisturiser that was made for me and blows my socks off. until then, the whole combination has improved my skin enormously. the exfoliator was such a fabulous freebie as i only use it once or twice a week and it seriously brightens my skin. WHAT'S MORE! when i received my box with glee in the post, i opened it up to find about a gazillion samples of liz earle makeup, their swatch 'chart' (?) if you will, and a tiny travel size cleanse and polish. wahoo's and air punches all the way.

also included in my skincare routine is the origins spot remover, anti-blemish treatment gel (£12, 10ml). i was hesitant to purchase this because for years i'd had so much faith in the super drug tea tree spot stick which was something like £2.99 for two and it was 8ml.. quite a difference, dontcha agree? BUT, it pays to invest in a good brand, in my opinion, and after a recommendation from vivannadoesmakeup.com, i was sold. (she's incredible ... FYI) so i made the plunge at bichester village in the cosmetics company shop because it was an outlet store, therefore lots of reductions... making it £9. due to only needing the tiniest amount on the problem area, the 10ml goes surprisingly far. on first application the tingling sensation was unexpected but i always like that as it makes me think its doing the job. it dries very tightly.. if that makes any sense but by bloody jove, the results the next morning are amazing. redness and swelling of the problem area are reduced but unlike the super drug spot stick it does not leave the area so dry that foundation application is totally screwed the following day. so no clumpy foundation around the area you'd rather not draw attention to. so yes, adore it muchos. 

i really do apologise for any appalling spelling and grammar today byyyy the by, i am ultra over tired from working too many late nights! 

to conclude this pile of ramble i am really happy with the liz earle collection but am already considering what else i could give a road test because i just love discovering miracle products. space.nk has me in awe every time i go in because i just want to take it all home and try every brand. i'd like to try out Ren and Wei but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. any suggestions are welcome with open arms.