What is my skin type?

All the best makeup looks start from being able to accurately answer this question. We're all made slightly differently which explains why what works for me may not work for you. The answer to this question is not as clear cut as just 'oily skin' or 'dry skin' for everyone. For example, I have the oiliest skin imaginable, but I still get dry patches occasionally in winter on my cheekbones, in fact that was what I wrote one of my first ever blog posts about! In this way I know to apply oil free products to my face in general, but that if I am going to apply a regular moisturiser to only apply it to my cheekbones where I never get blemishes.

If like me, you have enlarged pores, your skin gets shiny, your skin feels greasy often mid way through the day and you're prone to blackheads and spots then your skin is on the oily spectrum and you should tailor your skin care products and makeup appropriately. It's always best to use gel or foam cleansers to wash your face over cream cleansers which can be too moisturising. Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of using a moisturiser afterwards but it must be one tailored to oily skin. If you deprive your skin of moisturiser just for the sweet feeling of dry skin that I so adore after I wash my face, then your skin goes into overdrive to produce oils in the night and you'll wake up with brand new blemishes and pools of oil on your face.. yum!

If your face often feels tight after cleansing rather than relieved at the sensation of being rid of all that oil and you can get red patches and flaking then your skin is on the dry spectrum. It is extremely important that you use products that are deep and rich in moisture that includes your facial cleanser, moisturiser and foundation. Neglecting to do this will create difficulty with makeup application as the dry patches can be further highlighted with makeup application since they can settle in cracks or the edges of patches in the skin.The best cleansers to use are cream or lotion based rather than foaming washes and good ingredients to look out for in products are Evening Primrose oil or just Rose oil.

If your T-zone is often clogged and greasy but your cheeks, around your eyes and neck can crack, feel flaky and look like fine lines are forming. In this case, it is best to use the same type of gentle lotion as your would for dry skin with very moisturising properties all over the face, but use much less of the accompanying moisturiser on your t-zone, lavender is an especially good ingredient to look out for to balance the skins oil production activity. The dry areas should be exfoliated about twice a week with a gentle facial scrub made up of fine exfoliants. Steer clear of Lush's Ocean Salt for example, which I adore but it is made up of large chunks of salt and would cause trauma to dry skin.

Getting your skincare regime right is often something that you won't be able to nail the first time around. I've had a proper skincare routine for about seven years now and I still haven't found 'the perfect' products, but I'm constantly changing and hoping that something will help my problematic skin to heal!

Neutrogena Wave: First impressions and Review

The Neutrogena Wave was something of a unique product on the shelves of Boots etc, it looked like it did the job of a Clarisonic but for a much more affordable price. It must have been a year or two since this first came to the UK but I'm inclined to say that it cost around £12. Currently at Boots it's £9.99.
I was super lucky to stumble across this at Home Bargains about a month ago for £2 or £3. I almost choked on my own tongue at the price as it was something I had my eye on for a while, but couldn't justify the price if it was going to be another gimmick.
Today I opened and tried the Neutrogena Wave, here are my thoughts:

The cleanser itself fits raelly nicely into the hand, it has curved edges and holds well whether you are left or right handed, in regards to the placement of the power button.

Inside you get the cleaner itself, a battery which I thought was a nice touch and about 20 pads for the cleanser in a sealed plastic bag.

It's super simple to insert the battery into the holder, this takes 1 AA battery and only requires unclipping the side, no annoying or fiddly screws which is great since it's waterproof.

I was at first confused at how to apply the pad but it is as simple as placing it on and the head of the cleanser essentially 'grabs' onto the pad and is easily pulled off.

I had no idea what to do with the remaining pads, although the pads need water to be properly activated and foam, I feel certain the quality of cleanser built into the pad will deplete a little if exposed to air for long periods of time, so In a feeble attempt to preserve them I just used a lot of cling film which I'm sure will get messy after a while, so this is just a short term solution.

The cleansing itself:
I used this in the shower but stuck my head out so that I could accurately judge the amount of product in each pad. I ran it under water for about five seconds while holding the power button on but not a lot of foaming seemed to happen, never mind, I began on my face. While the buzzing is a nice sensation on the skin, it's not super strong, nor do I feel like my skin is getting exfoliated, but it does feel better than a regular flannel. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong as I've done two circuits of my face and still there's no foam, then suddenly the foam gates open and there is a whole lot of product, more than I know what to do with. I do another probably five rounds of my face to use up as much product as possible which was a lot better than there being hardly any product. The cleanser has a distinct 'tingle' feel to it which is rather pleasant and does feel like your face is being super cleansed but I imagine this makes it too strong as a product to use daily for people with sensitive skin. My skin is super oily, and I love the way this made my skin feel both during and after. After I'd finished using the cleanser (and with a numb thumb... the button should be 1 push to switch on, 1 push to switch off system rather than having to hold it in for a minute or two) I rinsed my face with warm water and a flannel and patted dry.
I must say, my skin does feel extremely smooth! I'm very happy with the result for the price I paid. I'm not yet sure if this is a product that would be better for my skin as a daily, every other day, or weekly treatment as once I'd finished my skin was crying out for moisturiser which doesn't often happen.
It's too soon to tell if this has changed my skin, but I will enjoy using this until I find out.

Acne: What doesn't work

There are so (so so so so so) many products available to treat acne and most of them are not cheap so it's good to do your research beforehand on what you think would be best to suit your specific needs.

While I have not yet found my cure (and I've been looking for five years or more) I'll focus on letting you guys know what hasn't worked for me yet, since nothing has worked in the way the reviews promise. This is not a full and complete list, but since I've been home I've come across lots of empty jars and almost empty containers of products that I gave up on or that gave up on me!
So, the breakout breakdown:
1. Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink grapefruit face wash
2. Cupcake face mask by Lush
3. Oxy Facial scrub
4. Oxy moisturiser
5.Witch oil-control foaming face wash
6. Boots own brand foaming facial wash
7. Bio-Oil (I was told to compensate for a lack of oil that I may be stripping from my skin)
8. Nelsons Pure and Clear anti-blemish balancing moisturiser (designed for oily skin)
9.HRI Clear Complexion tablets
10. Weleda homeopathy sulphur tablets
11. Yasmin contraceptive pill (along with some other brands but I can't remember the names)
12.Aknemin (Minocycline) - This worked for about 6 months quite well but then it stopped working, once I came off it I had headaches and all sorts- I had been on it for maybe a year)

That's probably around half of what I have used, I do sometimes feel at the end of my tether, I've gone down the highly medicinal and the herbal route, I have to say that the medicinal route is the only one that has provided any results, no matter how small.

Feel free to leave any questions about specific products in that list, if I went into detail on them all this post would send you to sleep!