Alright, ladies and gents, I have a confession. I am a porefectionist. I'm kind of cursed with less-than-perfect post-pubescent fair skin which features a variety of problems: large and visible pores, redness, sensitivity and shininess. All of these things are on my mind when I go through my daily skin routine and when I'm shopping for new products. There is simply no fix-all product!
Around about a year ago I decided to give my beauty shelf an overhaul and start buying products that focus on specific problems rather than weak ones that tackle problems in a broad sense. So here I am a year on and I can safely say that the following products have been tried and tested and have rightfully won their place on my shelf!
Aloe Calming Toner
The Body Shop
Best for... redness
When I hop straight out of the shower having washed my face, I'm usually confronted by it being bright red. No surprises there, really. To combat this I douse a cotton wool pad in The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner and give my face a gentle all over wipe with it. Instantly soothing and instantly taking away the tightness of hot skin, I put this product on straight after the shower and leave it for a short while for my skin to calm down.
It's alcohol free if your skin is sensitive to that like mine, and also smells lovely and refreshing. Only thing I would whinge about is the price tag, 8.00 pounds sterling is a bit dear for this bottle that runs out quite quickly because I use so much of it. But seeing how it instantly does the trick and calms my skin, it's worth the pennies.
Rosaliac Skin Perfecting Anti-Redness Moisturiser
La Roche-Posay
Best for... redness.
This is a godsend for people like me who are cursed with red skin that flares up at the smallest thing. I haven't worked out yet whether it's the chemical wizardry in this moisturiser that cancels out redness or if it's the green pigment but I don't care. This stuff works. And for that reason I am more than happy to shell out £16.00 a pop for this wonder product. I've seen a huge improvement in the redness of my face in the winter months AND in the summer months.
Only downside apart from the price tag is the fact that this is a very heavy moisturiser and sometimes adds a little shine to my nose and T-zone. Also, the fact that this product is unperfumed is more of a con than a pro in this case, since I find the smell a bit off. But once it's on your face the smell fades after a few seconds.
Seaweed Pore Perfecter
The Body Shop
Best for... open pores.
When I apply my foundation, I get pretty cheesed when most of the product seeps into my pores and gives me a dusting of small spots around my nose and between my eyebrows. But applying this nifty serum from The Body Shop between toning and moisturising actually seems to work on that problem! The product is lightweight, I can hardly feel it sitting on my skin and smells absolutely gorgeous. My skin automatically feels softer and smoother to touch and the deep pores suddenly look a little smaller and tighter. Wins all around!
Dream Smooth Primer
Maybelline
Best for... Shiny skin
This is quite literally a primer with no bells and whistles attached. I rub this product liberally across my T-zone and cheeks and forehead before I do my make up and leave it for some time to settle. It provides a very unusual sensation- dry and powdery but at the same time is in a cream/jelly form. It smoothes over any imperfections and makes it easier to effectively apply make up.
I haven't been doing much research on primers since I've only been using them for about 6 months, but so far I have been impressed with the results of this little pot from the Maybelline section.
My biggest complaint would be the fact that you seem to need a very generous big blob of this jelly stuff to effectively smooth over all problem areas. And then you need to leave it to settle before applying your make up. Maybe it's just me and maybe I haven't quite mastered the art of priming my face yet!
The Fab Pore 2-in-1 Pore Purifying Mask and Peel
Soap and Glory
Best for... large pores.
Wow a product that actually does the trick... AND doesn't cripple my bank balance?! I considered briefly the sciency products over at Clinique but at £20.00-40.00 for a small vial of serum, I decided to renew my research and keep looking! And thats when I stumbled upon this little face mask! I've had such bad luck with facemasks over the years (allergic reactions to clay for one...) that I was delighted to find that there was no stinging sensation when I put on this mask. It smells technical and minty, which was a surprise since I was expecting the usual heavy perfumes that Soap and Glory are famous for. As the mask dries it sucks out the nasties out of your pores and by the end of fifteen minutes this little thing has not only cleaned your pores inside and out but also tightened them. Visible results after the first use.
Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water
Lush
Best for... Everything else.After all of this heavy stuff I'm putting on my face, perhaps it's time to just kick back and go for a product that is just a general feel-good thing. A Breath of Fresh Air is an aromatherputic toning water made from 100% vegan products by Lush and quite literally... feels like a breath of fresh air. No sciency nonsense, no heavy chemicals or alcohol. I spritz this on my face whenever my skin starts to feel a bit greasy or heavy and boom, I feel AND look better.
Nice one, Lush!
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