Skincare Tricks To Know

Have you ever wished that your skin looked radiant and luminous with or without your makeup on? I've got a few tricks that can get you towards that wish and make it more of a reality...But it's gonna cost you BIG TIME...not just money wise but also time wise. When i was much younger, my mum used to say that your face, neck, hands and feet are the best investments you can make for yourself. Most people tend to think that makeup is just there to cover your skin or to scare the shit outts people...NO!! I believe it is there to enhance what you already have. It's just like a corset; you put it on to shrink the size of your waist and protuding belly but also to emphasise that you're a woman by drawing attention to the dramatic difference in size between youw breasts and your waist...And we all know that the curve from your buttocks down leads to the forbidden kingdom!! But lets not get into that conversation now, i'll save it for a more appropriate time.

The secret to glowing skin doesn't just start from the outside, it usually starts from the inside but since i'm no expert on health i wouldn't touch on that subject either. Most people tend to assume that the secret to luminous skin can be gotten from just one makeup product....except you live in a laboratory, the answer to that is most likely no. From my experience, no amount of makeup can hide the fact that your skin looks like shit because lets face it, you can use the best kabuki brush on earth (Chanel or MAC) to blend in your makeup but if your skin isn't already smooth and your pores unclogged, you'll need a miracle for the end result to be flawless.

The first investment you need to make for great skin is TIME! Yes people, time is money but you only have one face so you need to deal with it and the sooner the better. You can choose to follow the 2 or 3 step skincare routine depending on what type of skin you have. I for one have combination/oily skin so i usually stick to the 3 step routine. STEP 1: is wash the grime off your face day and night. I personally wouldn't advise you to spend loads of money buying an expensive facewash except you've got acne, ezcema or some other form of skin complications. A bar of dove soap does the trick for me because it is very moisturising compared to most soaps that can dry out your skin. There are also drugstore brands that you can buy facewash from. I personally use a face cloth to scrub my face and once a week, i use Johnsons 3-in-1 facewash because it's got exfoliating particles in it that slough off the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. STEP 2: use a toner after washing your face. This step can easily be skipped if you've got dry or normal skin. Since i have combination/oily skin, i try to use a clarifying toner to help balance out the oil in my skin and also clear up my complexion. I find that Dr Hauschka and Clinique work the best for me. With Clinique, you can go to one of their counters and get a routine customised for your skin type. STEP 3: MOISTURISE!!!! I cannot even say this enough! If you don't freaking moisturise your skin then your foundation is going to dry your skin out especially if you wear it daily. As a personal rule, i have two sets of moisturiser; one with SPF for day time and one without for the evening.

The jury is still out as to whether eye cream is essential so i wouldn't want to say much on that. All i'll say is if you wear your foundation close to your eye area or if you wear concealer daily, it is always best to use an eye cream as the skin there is pretty thin. Remember not to rub the cream in....just dab/pat very gently with your finger. Personally, i believe in spending as much as you can afford on your facial night cream and your eye cream but the drugstore brands are definately catching up with the high cosmetic brands so you can easily get a good deal for your money. When it comes to drugstore brands for eye creams, i'm absolutely in love with Garnier's eye roll on. I think it is AMAZING and i especially love the cool feeling you get after applying it on your eye area. It also allows you to use the least amount of pressure necessary.

If you follow these steps twice a day, you are well on the way to preparing your skin to look amazing when you get older without the need to freaking BOTOX or some form of cosmetic surgery. I believe in ageing gracefully and wearing at least SPF15 daily even during winter. Also, when it comes to anti-wrinkle creams, i'm not really convinced about it. You're better off investing in moisturiser that has a high amount of SPF because most of the ageing concerns are actually caused by the sun's rays! Clinique has a moisturiser with SPF 25 in it and Lancome has one with SPF 30 in it. I try to get a facial once a month and i'm pretty good at making up at-home facials for myself! Those of you who happen to know me in person, feel free to pop in sometime for one of my concotions!!! I tend to use avocado, egg-white, honey, mayonaisse and olive oil.....obviously not all at once! But if you're interested in buying something that has been manufactured, then the BEST i've ever tried is Bliss's oxygen facial! Seriously this shit is the best and you can get it here!

So just to sum up and include other products that i've used and recommend, here are links to some skincare products...

* Eye creams: La Prairie, La Mer, Bliss, Chanel Sublimage, La Prairie Cellular Eye Contour, La Prairie Eye Gel.

I happen to know someone who would gladly sell her shoes to get the La Mer, Chanel Sublimage or La Prairie eye gel. These creams are pretty expensive but they do last you a long time. My last eye cream lasted my about 8 months. The best way to store them, if you can, is to actually put it in the refridgerator and you can do the same with your night cream as well. To be honest though, i'd suggest starting with one like Garnier's eye rollon or Bliss if you're still young and when you get into your late 20s or when you hit 30, you can consider investing in the more expensive ones. You can also ask for samples at the counters at Myer and David Jones.

* Toners: Dr Hauschka, Bliss, Clinique, SKII

For me, SKII is more like food for the skin than an actual toner so i'd personally say if you buy it, do not waste it!

* Day creams: Estee Lauder - for the colder months, Clinique - for warmer months. For those above 25 worrying about anti-ageing creams, you could try Chanel's Beaute Initiale.

Facials in a can: Bliss, Bliss Oxygen Mask, Clinique

Night cream: SKII Aqua Physics

Face exfoliator: L'Occitane

Body Oils: L'Occitane - this one is great because grape has anti-ageing properties and the bottle is in dispenser/spray form so no wastage! Clarins - great if you're pregnant or losing weight

Source: Photo, Strawberry Net