Skincare now

Apart from Clinique's Clarifying Lotion, which I have been using faithfully since I was at school, I haven't found any skincare must-haves yet. And I have tried sooo many.

Here are the products I am using now.

Witch Naturally Clear Cleansing and Toning Wipes
Estee Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser
Clarisonic Mia
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
By Terry Source de Rose
Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial
Clinique Turnaround Concentrate
Lancome Genefique Repair night cream
LiLash

At night: The easiest way to take my make-up off is to use wipes. At the moment I have witch hazel wipes which aren't bad. I then wash my face with Estee Lauder's foaming cleanser. A few times a week I use the Clinique turnaround mask. I wipe my face with the Clarifying Lotion, then pat by Terry's rose-scented lotion onto my face and neck. I finish with Lancome's Genefique all over; this cream promises everything but hasn't shown me any results :-( I'm also using LiLash (again).

In the morning: Estee Lauder foaming cleanser, Clinique lotion, By Terry lotion, Clinique turnaround concentrate, some sample eye cream (not pictured).

Do I like the Clarisonic? I've been using it for two months and haven't seen any improvement in my skin. I will persevere, however. There are lots of people out there who swear by it, though: check out Meg's reviews here.

This is the second time I have tried LiLash and all I can say is that it works. False eyelashes become such a thing of the past because your real eyelashes will grow unbelievably long. Like crazy long. With a curl, even - so you can chuck out those eyelash curlers. I have tried RevitaLash and that worked but it stung when it got in the eyes, and Talika didn't do anything, as far as I could tell.

Grain de Rose by Terry

Do you know who Terry is? She developed YSL's famous Touche Éclat. She then launched her own line, By Terry, in 2000. I'm already a fan of her luxurious lip balm, Baume de Rose (it is seriously good, you must try it). So I picked up the Grain de Rose scrub.

"Enriched in ultra-gentle Rosebud extracts, it removes surface impurities, eliminates dead cells deep down and absorbs excess sebum with an extremely gentle, comforting action." 

It's nice to have and use... : 

* I like exfoliators with beads that do not dissolve, this way I can concentrate on 'problem areas'. 

* It smells lovely (if you like roses). 

* It's all pretty in pink (the packaging as well as the product itself). 

But has it improved my skin? Frankly, I don't know... I haven't seen any changes (after two months) so I don't see why I should repurchase this particular product. I'm not an expert on exfoliators, though, because I've relied on on Clinique's clarifying lotion for years (which I do swear by). 

Have you tried this? Do you exfoliate regularly? 

The best lip balms: My current top three

I cannot live without lip balm. I just can't concentrate on anything when my lips are dry.

This is why I have a lip balm on the bedside table, one in the kitchen and another one by the computer. And many more in handbags, coat pockets and drawers.

But not just any old lip balm will do! They have to be soft and creamy. I don't like having to scrape stuff out with my fingernail (like Bobbi Brown's).

Here are my top three:

1. By Terry's Baume de Rose SPF 15
It does smell of roses but it's not strong. At least I don't notice it. Which is lucky because I hate lipsticks or lip glosses that smell sweet.

Fab stuff. My absolute favourite.

But as pretty as the packaging is, it's heavy and not handbag- or travel-friendly.

2. Estée Lauder's Re-Nutriv Sun Supreme Lip Balm SPF 15
This is part of the expensive, anti-ageing Re-Nutriv series. It has small shimmer particles in it, which you're not really likely to notice unless you're out in the sun.

For carrying around in a handbag, this is the best because the packaging is small, slim and plastic.

3. Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 SPF 4
I used to think this was expensive but it's the cheapest of my top three now. Sun protection is a bit low in comparison with the other two (this one is SPF 4 only, the others are SPF 15).

I have a feeling that my top three selection will change, though, once I get my hands on Dior's crème de rose lip balm...