Welcome back. We make up lovers spend so much of our time covering our faces in paints, lacquers and elixirs - but what about the skin underneath? In this post I'll be walking you through my current skincare staples, how they work for me and hopefully, if they could work for you!

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm RRP £15.50
Now, I have harped on about this product before, so I'll be quick! This is a silky and luxurious cleanser which is perfect for removing make up too and leaves skin feeling soft and soothed. As you can see, I'm still working my way through my packet samples of this product but I will absolutely be purchasing this once I run out. I love this as a pre-bedtime cleanser to rid my skin of all the horribleness of the day (Mondays, I'm talking about Mondays).

Simple Kind To Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub RRP £3.39
A long time favourite of my sensitive and allergy ridden skin - this exfoliating scrub is incredibly gentle and is pretty much the only face scrub I've used which doesn't turn my skin the colour and texture of beetroot. It's affordable and it doesn't ring any of my alarm bells when I read the ingredients list (I have many alarm bells, my skin is a tricky customer). It works well for me, especially when paired with my next item.

Boots Ramer Shower Sponge RRP £2.55
This might seem like a strange one, but stay with me. I use this sponge alongside my facial scrub to help buff away dead skin whilst still being gentle - my skin can be so dry and flaky in the winter, that the scrub alone just doesn't cut it in terms of smoothing out my skin. BUT using a more abrasive scrub irritates my skin - what a catch-22! This sponge is my solution, gentle enough to not turn my face in to a cherry tomato but still helps to smooth out my dry patches. If you're struggling with dry patches or have sensitive skin like me, I would definitely give this a try. Also, these ramer sponges are designed to mimic natural sponges without the harvesting of marine life - win-win!

Dr Organic Dead Sea Mineral Bio-Plasma Mud Mask RRP £7.99
Now, I love a mask. I don't care if it's gimmicky or if it's messy - it makes me feel like I'm at a 90's sleepover and that, to me, is a pretty ideal feeling. I do also genuinely love how this one makes my skin feel. I use a mask about once a week, just for a deep cleanse - our skin goes through a lot, it deserves a little treat. This mask tingles at first but I didn't find it made my skin red or sore at all - it actually leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and soft. I came by some sachets of this but you can buy a full size for a pretty reasonable price and I would definitely recommend it if you're a fellow mask fan.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream RRP £80
This is my current night time moisturiser - technically an anti-aging cream I know but it's really hydrating without being at all greasy and always makes my skin feel like I've just walked out of a spa. Now, even I will admit, the price is quite something. I actually got mine from a Birchbox/Selfridges offer so I got a 30ml sample (full size is 50ml) as one of five items for £15. Bargain of the year in my opinion and I'm going to use every last scrap of it! Realistically, this isn't affordable for most and definitely not for me but it is such a lovely cream - I need some alternative suggestions of this quality before I find myself taking out a credit card!

Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser RRP £4.19
Back down from the lofty heights of Elemis, another old favourite and my everyday moisturiser for all and any occasion. I have been coming back to this one for years and it just WORKS. It's light (as the name suggests), it's not greasy and it soaks in quick. Perfect for a hurried morning routine and as a base for make up.

As always, thank you for reading and please leave me some suggestions in the comments of products you're loving at the minute!

NSB x