Disclaimer time: I am no skincare expert. I am just a mere mortal with an above average level of enthusiasm for beauty products. Any knowledge I have has been self-obtained or absorbed from the likes of Sali Hughes' books and countless other sources. These products might not necessarily work for you and as with anything, try to trial something new first before purchasing it and/or assess what will work for you. Disclaimers aside, this is my current skincare lineup. I'm going off what I use at night more than anything else and there are some extras which might be missing. Either because I'm not satisfied with what I've tried or I'm still trialling things. I try to keep things as simple as possible, complex routines are less likely to motivate me to maintain a skincare regime but I do try to use treatments and whatnot where necessary. For context; my skin is combination-oily, the latter more so in Summer than any other time of year. 

Super Pure Serum x Glossier: Before anyone asks, here is how I get my Glossier fix. Super Pure is one of Glossier's three serums, this one aimed at blemish prone skin. It contains niacinamide and zinc, designed to soothe the skin, calm down redness and sort those angry blemishes out. It feels incredibly cooling to apply, which I like and is fast absorbing. Wins all round.

Stress Positive Eye Lift* x Dermalogica: The copywriting for this product is a bit perplexing so I'll just talk about what I use it for. I apply this under my eyes, pat in with my fingers and wake up with things around the eye area looking a lot more hydrated. It actually absorbs too, you aren't left with product sitting under the eyes in the morning which I love. 

Clarifying Toning Lotion x Ren: After discovering the Pixi Glow Tonic didn't agree with my skin-boo, hiss, I went back to this toner which I'd used in the past and forgotten about. It's alcohol free and not loaded with parabens or sulfates. Yass Ren. As it's designed with combination/oily skin in mind, I feel like it's a bit gentler for an exfoliating toner. It definitely does what it says on the bottle, but it feels a bit less intensive than something like Glow Tonic. 

Pep Start HydroRush * x Clinique: Clinique's moisturiser has been in my routine for most of the year now and I still love it. The lightweight, bouncy texture totally sells it for me. I love that it's oil free too. Clinique recently sent me another of their moisturisers, more on that later in the week, so I'll be interested to see how they compare. 

Milky Jelly Cleanser x Glossier: What's not to like with this one? Like the serum above, it's got a lovely cooling feeling. The texture as the name would suggest is somewhere between a cream and a gel. My skin loves it and it definitely leaves things looking a lot better, without feeling stripping. I can see why so many people use and rate this cleanser, Anna probably has a whole backup shelf devoted to it now. It's a beaut. 

Drying Lotion x Mario Badescu: My first introduction to this product was c/o Kylie Jenner on Snapchat when she talked us through her skincare routine. Yes I watched the whole thing. Anyway, it was this product she applied to a cotton bud that intrigued me. Mario Badescu are known for their facial sprays but I hear just as many people raving about this product too. The blend of calamine and salicylic acid are magic. Obviously I don't use this daily, just when I have blemishes that I want to be less visible pronto. It really works fast and if you have an emergency, planet-sized crater on your face you want to banish, this is the product. 

-What skincare products do you use?

*PR Sample

It's time for another installment of the Beauty Files. Compiling last month's was so much fun and this month's was equally as exciting. It's a great way for me to get through new products a bit more consistently and also think about what I already have, use and perhaps don't mention as often as I should. Today we have the new body range I'm rather smitten with, a barely there powder to love, some luxury delights that are on my unnecessary necessary wishlist and more...

Something(s) New: Almond Milk & Honey Shower Cream* x The Body Shop & Daily Superfoliant* x Dermalogica. I saw one of the UK bloggers absolutely raving about the Almond Milk & Honey range and lo and behold it turned up on my doorstep a couple of days later. Much to my delight, naturally. I am trying to be frugal with beauty products I keep for review+use so I have only held onto this shower cream and the hand cream but I love them. The scent as I said on Instagram is like fresh linen, in the best way. It's very comforting and lovely. Designed for sensitive skin, it doesn't overwhelm you in fragrance or texture either. I'm definitely going to have to grab another of the hand creams and I might be eyeing up this as well.

Another product of note is Dermalogica's new superfoliant. Admittedly I don't use it daily because I don't think my skin would appreciate that but I do like to use it at least once or twice a week. Infused with Active Binchotan Charcoal, Niacinamide, Red Algae and Tara Fruit Extract, it packs a powerful punch. For something that is more of a scrub it feels pretty non-abrasive and gentle which is a huge bonus. I love that it is also available in a mini size too so you can trial it before investing in the larger size.

Something Loved: Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder, not pictured. When it come to face powders, I want something that is going to be light and provide just enough mattifying without leaving things looking statuesque. I'm having images of my face looking marbled and frozen. Don't ask. This does the trick. According to Amelia it is a good dupe for the Giorgio Armani powders which I conveniently can't find online. It is scented so if that is something that irritates your skin, maybe steer clear of this but otherwise it's a pretty inexpensive, decent face powder. I would be lost without it.

Something Rediscovered: Soba Eyeshadow x MAC. I'm pretty sure every time I pick this up again, it's because of Anna who introduced me to it. In the photos and in the pan it doesn't look particularly special. It's that shade on the top left. On the lids however, it's light golden-bronze goodness that gives your lids a little oomph. It also brings some definition to the crease too without having to reach for an extra colour-a bonus if you're time pressed. Long story short, next time you're near MAC, go give this a swatch and prepare to be wowed. 

Something Unconvincing: The abundance of new highlighters. You might argue that no highlighter is alike but you cannot deny that highlighters have certainly had their day in the sun. It seems like every five minutes a new palette is launched, a rainbow-hued powder is unveiled or a duochrome oddity unleashed. Not to mention the abundance of creams, powders, liquids and whatever other forms highlighters come in. Call me a luminescence scrooge but I am sick of seeing new highlighters. It's like that scene in La La Land where all the girls look and dress identical at auditions. Boring and repetitive. Moving right along..

Something Lustworthy: Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss & Re(cover) Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist x Marc Jacobs Beauty. If you scroll back in the archives far enough I reviewed a Chanel Glossimer that I used to own and loved. Admittedly I've been veering away from the matte liquid lip lately and glosses have been on the brain. These newbies sound ideal. Reformulated to be like a gloss-balm hybrid and in an array of colours, including some topcoats which have me intrigued. I might have to pay a visit to the Chanel beauty+eyewear boutique soon. Also on the wishlist, the Marc Jacobs Coconut Setting Mist. I've only heard brilliant things about their primer and am in the market for a new setting spray. It may seem an unnecessary step to some but all the ones I've tried do make a noticeable difference. They just keep your makeup around that much longer. I'm hoping this makes its way on to Sephora NZ soon. 

-What beauty bits are on your radar at the moment?

*PR Sample

Click through for the full breakdown! 

Some of my beauty essentials.

Face

-Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, $54 for 30mL. This cream is super moisturising & combats dry skin. I use it twice daily but if your skin isn't prone to dryness you could get away with one application per day. This product was in my August Favourites post so if you want to read more about it you can there.