Clinic Lessons. November.

During my appointments I keep a running record of things that I find myself repeating, or that seem to need clarifying - or that I have just become aware of because I suspect you may find it useful.

In no particular order:

Cetaphil
Yes, once listed as a 'staple' on this very blog, overuse on the wrong skin can be drying. When I originally wrote the post on Staple Cleansers over 3 years ago, the recession was in full swing and I think I probably felt pressure to stick a cheaper product in there. So: I've done what I don't normally do which is remove it from the post. It's not that I don't think you should use it - it's just that me stating that something is a 'staple' is very different in November 2013 than it was in September 2010. Ditto Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. It's not the same as it was. It can be too much for some skins so to say it is for everyone could prove misleading.

It would be a huge job to keep check on every post I've ever done and clarify when I've changed my mind but when I can really see that something is written that I no longer think is accurate I will try and update. Bear with!

DUAC
If you are recommended/prescribed this I would urge you to use it with caution - and only on the areas of acne themselves - if you use it all over the face you may become horrifically dry very quickly, which will lead to inflammation and a whole host of other issues. If it works for you, great, but don't smear it on like butter on hot toast.

Effaclar Duo/range
See above. If you get occasional breakouts but otherwise have 'normal' skin, this is not for you. Please, please, stop using it all over your face and to the exclusion of good oils. Your skin will very quickly become dry, agitated and in desperate need of a drink - like me after reading the beauty 'advice' in the Daily Mail this week.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliant
Out of all the recommended exfoliating toners, this one has proved a tad problematic when used too often. The exfoliating stage is to be done with varying products, using one 2 x day for the rest of your life is not the best for your skin. Please don't be put off. It's perfectly fine used in conjunction with other toners - just not all day everyday.

Eysilix
Great for younger skins. Not hydrating enough for older, dryer skins. Either use under a serum/moisturiser for the added peptide benefits or consider stepping it up a gear if you are 30+.

Mag Mirrors
Good Lord please stop. To be used for tweezing and tricky eye liner if you must. Otherwise, no. Just NO.

'Using it up.'
Something I hear all too often. If something isn't working for you, or isn't for your skin type, or if your skin has changed since you bought it, don't 'use it up'. To continue using it could do more harm than good.
Bin it, or put it to one side the way you would a Winter coat in Spring - just in case - but don't 'use it up'.

New Year Skincare - Daily Beauty AM

If you follow me on twitter or Instagram you'll have already seen pictures like this - this is my morning routine of the moment. I thought I'd try and put some up here more regularly as I am always asked for further details on the products. (If you see one of these pics on twitter or Instagram and want more info just give me a kick - not literally - rude.)

Left to right are:

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser - really enjoying this. I use it in the mornings if I'm feeling grubby. It's like a runny clay and just cleanses and refreshes without drying. It doesn't in any way foam - ignore the description on the link.

P50 - I'm back to this at the moment - my post-Christmas skin needed the exfoliation and there's nothing quite like it. 

La Roche Posay Serozinc - as this is unbelievably not available in the UK (sort it out LRP), the gorgeous Amelia brought me enough back from Europe to survive Armageddon (THANK YOU!). Spraying zinc on top of your exfoliating toner stage gives you a little hydration before Hydraluron but more importantly for me its great for preventing breakouts. I toyed with the idea of linking to a picture saying 'WHY ISN'T THIS ON SALE IN THE UK YOU MUPPETS?' but thought it would be rude. Oh. My bad.  Also sidebar: the LRP has to be one of the most confusing/long websites out there. Please also fix that. Alrighty then.

Eysilix - still using this too. It's so easy, perfect texture, great packaging and helps my dark circles - which hardly any other eye cream does. 

Hydraluron - I'm changing this to 'Hironsluron' - still using it most days. Twice a day unless I'm going for an oil or balm in the evening.

Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair - I think this and the Goat Cream are the Holy Grail of KS's range. This takes 10 years off of my skin upon application. It is designed as a moisturiser but I use it as a serum underneath...

Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturiser - I treat this as an overcoat. It goes on last on days I am dehydrated - which in this weather and after recovering from drinking alcohol (even a little) on a daily basis over Christmas - I am.

The Kate Somerville range is still unavailable in the UK. RUDE. Please also sort that.

I'm clearly feeling very bossy today.

*the above is a mixture or PR samples, purchases and gifts. All are fabulous.

No Affiliates.

2012 Awards. Eye Cream and Launch of the Year. Eysilix, Hydraluron and Indeed Labs.

I didn't get on with Nanoblur and could never be bothered with Peptalash (just one more thing to do too far - you know?) but Indeed Labs redeemed themselves completely with these two products this year.

Eysilix is essentially every eye cream you ever bought, with added peptides, all wrapped up together for £24.99, as opposed to some of the more ridiculously priced eye creams on the market at the moment. It contains 10 peptides, which doesn't always mean anything but in this formulation, for me, they work. I've noticed if I stop using it my dark circles are worse - it doesn't fix them permanently, if you stop using any cream they will come back - but it does help them on a day-to-day basis when I am using it.

No surprises for my Launch of the Year.

Hydraluron has basically been in my routine since I wrote this review when it launched. Nothing has changed, I still use it daily - most of the time 2 x a day. I've lost count of how many tubes I've used. It has absolutely helped keep breakouts at bay and my pretty much permanently dehydrated skin loves it. 

Eysilix and Hydraluron are my Eye Cream and Launch of the Year. Both are available at Boots.

A few weeks in the life of ....Instagram August and September!

 Bloody hell.

I thought it was just September I missed out. No. Weeks and weeks. Hopefully work will steady out a little (Who am I kidding? Really?) and I can get back to some Clinics and reviews asap!

I am in the last throws of planning a Live Winter Clinic so will have details of that soon. In the meantime... some titbits from the last couple of months...

Westminster Cathedral. Pretty breathtaking.

Harvey Nichols chips. Also breathtaking - for other reasons.

Zelens, La Prairie, Caudalie, Hydraluron and Ms Somerville.

Gigi

A nice working kit!

Puma in Carnaby St gets a couple of extra window dummies.

Broadwick St mural

Carluccio's. *weeps*

Me in a terrifying face mask. You're welcome.

Cleanser I can never remember the name of from pharmacy in Paris, La P, Sjal, Zelens, Hydraluron, Ms Somerville and Caudalie

One of my favourite places

One of my favourite pictures ever - source unknown

Beautiful packaging

A hotel bathroom after my own heart.

Saw at Thorpe Park - or as I called it: CHRIST ON A BIKE

Stealth. Lest said the better.

Me with long legs thanks to a very low sun!

Suti, Zelens, Sjal, La Prairie, Hydraluron and SkinCeuticals SAVED my face after Thorpe Park.

Damien Hirst putting me off my lunch.

Eysilix launch. Not me - for the record.

Trialling this.

Beautiful newness from Balance Me.

And possibly one of my most favourite pictures EVER of my Babygirl - she's perfectly sane. No really.