The tale of a fresh (faced) start....

On to tale #3 and this time I'll be chatting about my skincare 'routine' (I'd feel like a fraud without the quotation marks!). I can honestly say that, until this year, I've paid little attention to my skin (specifically my face) and what I did to it. My skincare went something like wash face and moisturise. Now I can't deny I still pretty much just do this, however ,I have changed things up a bit by purchasing some new products, as well as adding in a couple of extras.

It's out of sheer laziness that I've stuck to fairly similar products throughout the years, albeit coupled with lack of want to stray from the familiar. I'm also pretty bad at researching stuff and get a little confused by all the information on offer (and being a bad decision maker certainly doesn't help this!) Simple products seem to have been frequently involved, specifically this face wash, with the occasional introduction of a few other bits, such as this St. Ives scrub.

This all changed in January, however, when I spent my (very much appreciated) Christmas-given Lush voucher on 3 products in the hope of sprucing my 'routine' up; Ocean Salt (I've been told this is a best-seller) chosen because I cannot be without a good scrub, Herbalism, a light scrub that is good for everyday use and Enzymion, a beautifully fruity-smelling moisturiser, the latter two of which cater for the oily/troubled skin sufferer. I don't have too may problems with troubled skin (although, typically, a spot has popped up today to say hello and start its own little 'on Tori's face' tale) but I do still suffer on occasion with a few nasties that like to appear and look angry. Therefore a product that caters to both (which does tend to happen as, from my experience, oily = spotty) gets a thumbs up from me!

The additional products you see in the piccy below are spoken about later in the post (a little heads-up in case you thought I was going crazy and somehow mistook 5 products for 3!)

I'm going to point out here - although its completely unnecessary - that I am just a normal gal commenting on how these products have been for me. Everyone's skin is different, therefore, if you are looking to make a fresh start regarding your own skincare it's probably best to get some proper advise from an actual knowledgeable person! I can, however, totally recommend Lush as a place to start - its staff are always helpful and more often that not you'll come across someone with similar skin problems to yourself who can steer you in the right direction. I had a lovely chat the first time I popped in with a girl who had the same skin type as mine; she showed me the products that she uses. She had stopped using Ocean Salt because she doesn't like scrubs but when I mentioned I could not live without them she recommended it quite enthusiastically! She sent me off armed with a few little tester-tubs (covered up by the stickers in the photo) which I thought was pretty darn fab. Being able to try them before I bought them meant I could get an idea of what they were like without having first forked out near-on £30!

I'm going to start by talking about Herbalism. This could just be down to technique but I find it pretty tricky to use. Its a dry consistency although pliable, therefore, in the never-ending struggle of man vs. tub (because usually the product just gets stuck in my fingernails, urgh) it allows for an easy situation in that I can sort of 'pinch' it out. You are told to add water to it before using it on the face but this is where I meet my downfall because it always goes everywhere (again, this could just be down to technique, we all know how incapable my hands are at doing anything I want them to!) and it's green people, so you can imagine the state the sink etc. gets into when I'm trying to get it from hands to face! Not only that but if I get it too wet it loses its ability to exfoliate, too dry and I can't spread it on my skin! If anyone has used the product then I'd appreciate any tips you have to offer! Despite the trickiness, it is a good 'every day use' product; though I usually prefer something that packs a meatier punch (hence alternating every so often with a scrub), it does leave my skin feeling clean and fresh, so no real complaints here about its capabilities as a cleanser.

Ocean Salt is exactly what you want from a scrub; no big gritty lumps which means its not harsh on the skin, although consistency is obviously dependent on how wet you get your skin before applying it. I alternate Herbalism with Ocean Salt every couple of days so it is lasting rather well. You definitely don't need a huge amount (same with the Herbalism, although I take the 'pea-sized' advice with a pinch of salt - geddit? Salt?!!!) It does have quite a strong smell that I can't really describe very well - a little more medicinal than the other products which could put some off. Overall though it is a really decent scrub - gritty enough that it actually feels like its doing something, but not so much that it makes my skin feel sore. It's definitely a product I would suggest others to have a go at using - I guess that's why its a bestseller!

On to moisturiser. I'm not an organised fellow (nor am I actually a fellow) because, if I were, I'd have been jotting down proper observations on a notepad (sigh, I don't even own a notepad) regarding any differences I have found in my skin since using these products so as to give a well-informed review/recommendation (I'm not sure why anyone would ever ask me of all people for one but hey, a girl's gotta be prepared for any such occasion). However, despite not officially having done so, I have actually been able to notice a few differences and there is one in particular that I wanted to share.

I have used Boots own Essentials Cucumber Moisturising Lotion for yonks. I like the smell, it's cheap (under £2!) and it seemed to do the trick. However, a major negative is that I couldn't count on both hands how many times a day I would plaster it on my face. It became a habit and the more times I applied the more I felt I needed to. Now, I am not knocking this product - I wouldn't have been using it for years if I thought it was awful (I'm not that lazy!) - but, since using Enzymion (which has a decent consistency - not too thick that it doesn't rub in, not too thin that it soaks in instantly) I have taken to moisturising just twice a day which to me is a miracle! I can't say I haven't cheated - on more than one occasion I've felt compelled to use the Cucumber moisturiser on my forehead (yes, such a specific area)  - but I would say that's because a habit is hard to break. It seems that Enzymion - or maybe the products as a collective? - seems to be helping to control something in my skin (yes, I realise that's a bad explanation, I have no technical terms to wow you with here!). Not only that but I don't even feel like I have to take the moisturiser with me in my bag everywhere I go to 'top up' (so to speak) throughout the day like I did with the Boots one. That's a major step for me - separating myself from a moisturiser during the day!

Furthermore I purchased another Enzymion this week as my first had run out which  means another big 'ole tick in the box for it because, at £13 a pop, it doesn't come cheap. However, despite this £11 difference in price, I was actually happy to make the purchase (trust me, I would have blanched at the thought before). Sure, I could have gone back to my Boots basic, but something stopped me from doing so. I feel a little - dare I say it??!! - proud with myself for paying out for this moisturiser. The times they are a'changin; maybe I’ll make a grown-up of myself yet!!

In addition this week I purchased their Tea Tree Water (the 100g) which is something I took home as a tester originally but it wasn't in stock when I went back to make my purchase. I'm hoping it adds a little something extra to my skin care - I'll update you once I've been using it for a few weeks. I'm always a little sceptical about toners because I'm not actually sure what their job is! This one comes in a pump bottle, however, I do not spray it on my face because, when trying to do so, I managed to spray the bottom of my chin and nothing else so, for me, it would be a waste of product. I either spray some in my hands and pat it on, or onto a cotton-wool ball (as suggested).

I also purchased a lip scrub - Mint Julips - which (as many have probably pointed out) smells and tastes exactly like After Eight Mints. I'm still not sure about this product. I think I like the idea of it more than the product itself. I'm also not quite sure whether to wet my lips or not first? Either way, it seems to be ok at what it does, but it doesn't get rid of my dry skin (at the very bottom of my top lip, towards the inside of my mouth) which is a bit of a pain because that is what I wanted it to do! I've also been a little useless with this recently because I never seem to find a time to use it. As it has such a strong smell/flavour it's not something I would be happy to use all the time. I think I'm going to have to get my head around some sort of teeth-brush then lip-scrub timetable!

Do any of you lovely readers use Lush products? If so, any recommendations/reviews of your own to make? 

Also, I may branch out and purchase some body skincare soon; I'd love some thoughts on what you use!