serum – Le Beauty Journal

Current Skincare Routine

I thought I’d share my current skincare routine with you because my skin has be quite happy for a few months and I think I’ve found the key to major glow. Just so you know, my skin is slightly dehydrated but pretty normal overall, though keep in mind it’s extremely sensitive so I tend to use very gentle products.

Morning

Cleanse – Cerave Hydrating cleanser. Super light and nice to my skin. Might need something a bit more hydrating when it’ll get colder. Super affordable, great, non fragranced morning wash. If you’re on a budget, it’s the perfect morning cleanser, or second cleanse in the evening.

Serum – There’s no picture of this product because I’ve sadly finished it. Alpha H vitamin C serum has simply changed my skin. I’ve since become obsessed with Vitamin C based products and will tell you more about a new item that I’ve just started using soon. It has a light consistency, does not smell of anything, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from it. I have Vitamin C with a glass of water in the morning and I’m bored just telling you about it, so in a serum? Boy was I wrong. It gave luminosity and glow back to my skin which is all I want in life so I could not recommend this enough.

Moisturize – If I need something a bit more intense than the Alpha H serum, which is very light, I tend to use Advanced Night Repair which I’ve been in love with for years, and, even though it’s a night serum, you can most definitely wear during the day. This ANR serum has changed my skin, anytime I react to anything, it fixes my skin almost immediately. If needed, I top it off with moisturizer, this time I might use the Cerave Moisturizing lotion.

I should wear an eye cream, I don’t, sue me. Or don’t because I’ve actually just purchased some Drunk Elephant products, including the very well-known C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream. I’ll report back about that in about a month time!

Evening – First Cleanse with Origins Gentle Cleansing Oil. Lovely, affordable, effective. I have to say I’ve come to the realization that I’d rather use a cleansing balm than an oil because I find them easier to manage, the product doesn’t run between your fingers and I guess you can really work the product into the skin. However this Origins oil is doing the job!

Second cleanse with Cerave, again, this stuff’s good!

Then, I use oils. Every. Single. Night. I’ve talked about my favorites before, and they’re still the same, so instead, let me tell you about the biggest discovery I’ve made recently.
In the evening, on top of the oil, I actually NEED to add a moisturizer. I was telling a friend about this the other day and I felt a bit silly because well, it’s not a groundbreaking discovery. But to me it was. Why? Because I just thought my skin did not need it. Consequently, I would not apply anything on top, terrified of changing anything in my routine because my skin is so reactive. I was convinced it was unnecessary, even when my skin made it clear it needed more than an oil.

Ah, habits! It all shifted when I heard about the launch of Drunk Elephant in the UK, which means, thanks to the amazing Cult Beauty website that I can get it in France! I’ll write a whole post about Drunk Elephant skincare, but just so you know, I’ve purchased Lala Retro Whipped Cream which is a nourishing all-purpose moisturizing cream and it has simply made my skin look alive. I fancied adding a more luxurious step in my skincare routine and I did miss using a lovely luscious cream so I treated myself and my skin’s basically thanking me.

Do share your latest discoveries if you fancy to, I’m ALWAYS interested in your skincare advices and/or routines!

Little Things #1

I’ve been a bit busy lately, but the good kind of busy. Still, I haven’t been super present on the blogging front, so I’m hopefully making it up to you with today’s blog post. I’m coming back with an article about those little things that make life better, you know? It could be something you read, your new mug purchase (hint hint) or buying yourself some flowers. Little things #1 will be a series because there’s never too much things to be inspired by I think and here’s the first episode. Oh and I’d love it if you shared yours in the comments actually!

1. Glossier Cloud Paints

A friend of mine recently hooked me up on some Glossier goodies which I am SO thankful for! I got boy brow in brown, stretch concealer in light, the Glossier You solid perfume (which I’ll tell you about soon) and two Cloud Paints, one in Puff which I’m almost finished of so I needed (yes I am using that verb, because I truly need this stuff) a new one and I also got the shade Haze, a dark flamboyant pink which I LOVE. The formula is still excellent, and the pigmentation is unreal, you only need the tiniest amount. I also really love the finish on lips with lip balm underneath, glossy and deeply pink.

3. Old Hoop Earrings

I got these like 10 years ago at a flea market, but I’m falling in love with them again. They’re simple hoop earrings, they’re not gold plated or anything though they seem to last pretty well over years. I love pairing them with a pair of white jeans, sneakers and a boxy t-shirt. Or with a dress if I’m feeling extra fancy. Great and simple style addition if you ask me!

2. Marc Maron WTF Podcast

I’ve written an entire post about my favorite podcasts, but I have to reiterate on this one because it’s so brilliant. Today for instance, I listened to the episode with Jason Alexander (from Seinfeld amongst other things) and it was great. Marc Maron is a great interviewer and though I don’t listen to all the episodes because I don’t know all of his guests, I often just click randomly on the list of shows and am never disappointed. I find that this podcast simply is the best destination for smart and inspiring conversations!

4. Vichy Mineral 89 serum

Now, this serum is so good to my skin it’s the best discovery I’ve made in months. Vichy Mineral 89 is packed with water, 89% of mineral water actually which to be honest made me a tad sceptical at first. Paying 20 euros for water? No no. Still, I wanted to give it a try because I was looking for a good hydrating serum with an affordable price, suitable for my extremely sensitive skin. This one only has 11 ingredients, and a really watery texture. Yet it works on my skin and it might be because it also has hyaluronic acid and glycerin. My skin feels more hydrated and soft (also it never got irritated because the serum is fragrance-free which is a huge plus for me), and I have to say, I feel like it’s giving me glow! I’ve been using it for 5 weeks now every single day, and I highly recommend it!

5. The Office Mug

I mean, do I even have to explain why? I LOVE The Office (US version, need to watch the original UK series) and I miss it from time to time, I need to watch it again actually. In the meantime, I got this mug, and it just makes me so bloody happy it’s insane.

The serum I would not live without

I remember distinctively the first time I bought this serum. It was the most money I’d ever spend on a beauty product. I had just started to really get into skincare, but did not know that much about it and thought it would be wise to spend money on a serum. Because if you don’t know, serums are complexe formulas that have a much bigger impact on your skin than moisturizers.

I remember thinking “Isn’t it a bit risky to buy and potentially fall in love with an higher end serum ? Because if you like it, you’ll have to buy it again, and again…” Needless to say, I certainly did !

I loved it ! And I haven’t been without it since I first got it 3 years ago.

It ? The Advanced Night Repair Serum by Estee Lauder. Yeah… That kind of it.

Whatever the state of my skin is, this serum makes it better. Truly a multi purpose product. It kind of does it all ! Sadly, it does not make me coffee, but you get the gist…

It’s always been a cult product for sure, but no one around me has ever really been into beauty, so I would read about it in magazines but always thought it maybe was too good to be true. And I bought it, tried it and fell in love with it.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way : I love the packaging, the smell is sort of medicinal and the texture is light. Also good to know : one 75ml bottle lasts me for around 6 months.

So why would I recommend this serum to you ? Because, it has changed my skin.

My skin is now smoother, brighter, more even and seems to recover from dry patches, hormonal breakouts, reactions to too many products testing… way more quickly.

It contains hyaluronic acid, and reduces signs of ageing. I’ve noticed I’ve started to have lines around my eyes and mouth, I don’t really mind to be honest, but I feel like using ANR now, may help my skin to age beautifully.

HOW I USE IT I tend to apply it at night, after cleansing and toning. It’s quite hydrating, at least for my skin which is combination. What I really enjoy about this serum is how it simply fixes my skin. If I have spots, it calms the inflammation. If my skin’s reactive, it instantly makes it feel comfortable again. If I’m tired, I apply it morning and night, and it definitely wakes up the complexion. Whatever the state of my skin is, this serum makes it better. Truly a multi purpose product. It kind of does it all ! It does not make me coffee, but you get the gist…

Also, little tip… When I reapply concealer before going out for example, I usually mix a couple of drops of ANR with my concealer/foundation, and it wakes up the under-eye area, brightens up the skin, and makes the application even more dreamy.

It’s a hero product in my bathroom. Advanced Night Repair is a good starting point if you want to see a real change in your skin with a serum but still use something gentle that just feels really really good and soothing. I know it’s not cheap, but it lasts a good amount of time and your skin, in my opinion, is a good element to invest in.

What’s the serum or beauty product you could not live without ?

“Stick to a routine” they say. “Try everything under the sun” I thought.

You may know I’ve had skin issues for the past few months and I seem to have found products which do not make my skin angry. I now understand that my skin is very sensitive, which means that fragranced, rich or acids based exfoliating products make it react.

I think I may have had too much fun trying out many different products at the same time. “Stick to a routine” they say. “Try everything under the sun” I thought.

Now, my skincare “routine” is not the most exciting, but who cares ? I suppose I liked to have fancy serums or cheap-ish amazing moisturizers, but my skin was telling me it was not happy, I just would not listen for the sake of staying in the loop I guess. My skin’s a bit snob…

I was always shit at science in school, but suddenly my bathroom became my lab, and I could not have been happier to play the scientist.

Skincare is a magical perspective to me. It can change how you face feels, fights the outside, repairs itself at night and not like makeup, you have to wait days, months to see a difference. It’s like watching a seed grow into a flower, takes time. I have to admit that I felt great joy experimenting with products. I was always shit at science in school, but suddenly my bathroom became my lab, and I could not have been happier to play the scientist.

But hey, guess what ? I was a shitty scientist. My skin was good, and I wanted it to look even better. I had no spots, but dark circles, what tackles that ? I had a good skin texture, but lines on my forehead, was there an acid that would make a difference ? My skin was not dehydrated but a bit grey, was there a serum that could help ?

Also, in my defense, there is a product for pretty much anything. My curiosity had no limits, because the beauty industry seemed almost limitless. Consequently, my skin reacted. More redness, some areas were a bit itchy, I thought I had allergies. I then realized seborrheic dermatitis was the main issue and so I had to give my skin a rest. More importantly, I had to be consistent with the products I was using. Same serum morning and night ? Had no other choice. If I’d change one (trust me, I did), it would completely freak out again.

So here am I, telling you all about how I stick to a strict skincare regime… Now, let me tell you about this new serum I tried.

I KNOW.

After finishing my Avène Serum, I came across this one on Asos. I like the brand Hylamide, it’s part of the Deciem company, which also owns the Ordinary.

The name “sensitive fix” appealed to me, and I simply trusted the brand. Verdict is in : I love this serum. I use it morning and night after toning, it has massively helped the sensitivity of my skin. Paired with the Ducray moisturizer it is the skincare routine made of dreams. The serum is light, non fragranced, is absorbed really quickly by the skin, and leaves it feeling calm, protected. Also, it’s around 22 euros which is a very decent price to me, though I think I might run out soon and only got it a few weeks ago. Will update you on that !

I do have learned my lesson though. I now understand and take in consideration that I have sensitive skin, and that if I want to include a new product, I need to be very cautious, read the ingredients list, incorporate one new product at a time, and little by little… Won’t be playing scientist in the bathroom for a while, my skin’s never been so relieved, and so much so it has stopped being snob !