Bedside Beauty

Despite most of my beauty routine taking place in my bathroom, there are a few bits I keep on my bedside table so that they are within easy reach when I'm unwinding in the evening, or struggling to wake up in the morning. The first is the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Candle, a warm, dark, fruity fragrance that really helps me relax before bed. Although rich, the scent isn't overwhelming and although this is definitely a Winter favourite, I love it all year round. Jo Malone candles are always great quality and the scent lasts for hours after I put it out.

I'm absolutely terrible at remembering to moisturise my hands and body, so I like to keep a moisturiser right by my bed so it's impossible to forget. My all time favourite is the Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream. It's creamy and hydrating enough to soothe and soften my skin, yet not too thick that it's uncomfortable to apply right before bed which is the problem I have with most thicker formulas. This also smells absolutely incredible and reminds me slightly of the Diptyque Baies Candle I spoke about in my last post.

Lastly is the The Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist,  a hydrating facial spritz containing orange blossom, rose, sage and apple pectin. Sometimes I wake up to my skin feeling uncomfortably tight and this provides instant relief and hydration, as well as helping me to feel awake and refreshed. The mist has a gorgeous, spa like scent however definitely isn't the most affordable option. I have since found the Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist which provides comfort and hydration to the skin at a cheaper price point. What are your bedside essentials? Let me know in the comments!

Diptyque Baies Candle

Diptyque Paris is inarguably one of my favourite candle and fragrance brands, from the quality and uniqueness of the scents, to the beautiful monochrome packaging. Each candle is a mixture of up to eight or nine mineral waxes and each scent is blended to reach the right melting temperature, which is apparent in the strong fragrance that fills the room when one of these candles is burning. Baies is described as "a bouquet of blackcurrant leaves and Bulgarian rose" and finds a beautiful balance between fruity and floral. There is a sharp edge to the scent and to me, it smells summery, fresh and green.

The candle burns beautifully and is very strongly scented, but in a way that is never overpowering. I was praying that Diptyque made a perfume with the same scent and apparently L'Ombre Dans L'Eau is the fragrance equivalent of Baies, so I will have to give that a try soon as it would make the perfect Summer scent! What are your Diptyque recommendations? 

The Dry / Dehydrated Skin Edit

 

 I've spoken in recent posts about the terrible state my skin got in recently, the cause of which I'm still trying to work out. I have suspicions that a few products are to blame however I'm hoping it was just the change in weather as I really don't want to have to stop using them! I've always had dehydrated skin that is slightly on the sensitive side but recently it has become unbearably tight and uncomfortable, with some pretty sore and unsightly dry patches that only get worse when make up is applied on top. I've had to make changes to my skincare routine to deal with the problem and these four products are what I've added into my routine to heal my skin and ensure it gets all the hydration it needs.

EXFOLIATOR

I always make sure to include some AHA's in my evening routine to keep my skin looking smooth, radiant and even. I switched to the Alpha H Liquid Gold Rejuvenating Cream when I found my usual favourites to be too harsh for the delicate state of my skin and were making the problem worse. I did a full post on this cream a few weeks ago so won't go into too much detail, but the combination of moisture and exfoliation that this product gives was exactly what my skin needed at the time, resurfacing and smoothing my complexion without irritating and still providing a dose of moisture.

SERUM 

The next change I made was to add a hydrating serum to my routine in order to squeeze in as much moisture as possible. Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Serum feels refreshingly lightweight when applied and provides instant relief to dehydrated, sore skin. I have been using this before my moisturiser both morning and evening and have noticed that my skin no longer feels tight when I wake up or after removing my make up and looks smoother and plumper too. What I love the most is how soothing this serum is and how you can instantly feel the effects on your face.

OIL

I also switched to the most hydrating oil that I've tried - The Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil. The texture is thicker than some other oils, but sinks into the skin quickly, leaving behind a radiant glow and a soothed, hydrated complexion. On days when I was working at home I would reapply this throughout the day and thoroughly massage it in (almost like a mini treatment) and noticed such a change in the plumpness and radiance of my skin.

BALM

Lastly, I needed a product to actually heal those dry, sore areas and after some research picked up a tube of the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. This French Pharmacy skincare line is known for it's simple yet effective, problem targeting formulas and gentle products so is perfect to look in to if your looking for a solution to any specific skin issue. Described as a 'soothing repairing balm', this compensating formula targets chapped, intensely dry skin with it's active ingredients of panthenol, madecassoside, copper, zinc and manganese working to boost collagen, repair skin and reduce inflammation. The texture is very thick and is definitely a targeted product instead of an all over facial cream but this little miracle has cured the dry patches around my eyes, nose and cheeks and will be wonderful to have on hand for any similar situations in the future.

The combination of these lovely products have not only managed to get rid of the dry patches and return my skin to normal, but have also helped manage my usual dehydration. Have you tried any of these products or have any recommendations for managing dry or dehydrated skin? Let me know!