Girls love shopping, I love shopping. My wallet doesn’t always like me for it, but whatever. I didn’t really go overboard the past few months: I only got some necessities and two things I’ve been eyeing for a while now. Well thought out purchases.. because I’m hitting the London streets in a couple of weeks to stock up on some other lemmings that I can’t even find here, so I had to do some saving! 

I repurchased my Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion, because it simply really works for my skin and it’s ultra budget when you look at how much product you’re getting for just €24. A massive 125ml! That’s almost unseen in mid range skin care, as you usually get about 30ml or 40ml for that price. This lasts me a ridiculously long time, so I’m good for another long, long while now. Then I also got the Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum because I ran out and it’s the single best serum to tackle my dehydrated but still combination/oily skin. Caudalie often does these promotional packages where you get some extra items for free, which is usually a really good offer! This time I got a travel size flacon of the Eau De Raisin (which I’ve been wanting to try for a while now!) & a mini of the Vinosource moisturizer. The Eau De Raisin will be perfect to use as my second toner.. A skin care habit that I only recently learned about & that I’m going to write an article about myself soon. 

I also bought the very budget friendly Kruidvat Nail Polish Remover, because my Ciaté one (that smells like white chocolate!) is almost empty. Sure this one doesn’t smell like chocolate, but it’s fool proof for a nail polish remover daredevil like me. I’ve encountered quite a few tricky situations that involved me screaming and running around the house to get towels to save my laptop/sofa/book from terrible stains, because I have a tendency to throw bottles of dangerous substances around. Unwillingly, of course. So this one by Kruidvat has an easy pump that allows me never to spill any varnish remover ever again! I was actually looking for the one by Bourjois, but since it wasn’t in stock.. I went with this one. During the M.A.C. event a couple of weeks ago where I met Lyne Desnoyers and learned about all the upcoming AW13 makeup trends, I gave into the M.A.C. Paint Pot in Soft Ochre to use as a daily eyeshadow primer/base. It’s such a versatile and easy to use product: I apply it with my fingers in just a few seconds, and it honestly does not crease all day through. And then last but very certainly not least.. I finally got the Bobbi Brown Concealer Duo Kit in Beige I was eyeing for the past couple of months. A friend of mine had her make-up done at Bobbi Brown last season and told me about the genius effectiveness of Bobbi’s creamy corrector & concealer. I was a bit reluctant at first since it’s REALLY creamy and I’ve got quite a few fine lines under my eyes… But I tried it a couple of times when I was in a Bobbi store or at a counter, and I was never disappointed.. I found this almost unused one for just 2/3rds of the price on a blog sale, so I thought it was THE sign for me to get it and just try it out. First verdict? Oh my gosh this conceals like a boss! Thorough review with pictures is of course to follow.

What did you shop lately? Let me know! Being a bit of a shopaholic, I can always use some inspiration for my future lemmings ;) 

Let’s talk about beauty routines. Mine changes often as I discover new products, I just can’t stick to the same routine for too long. Let me guide you through my current routines. Note that the morning routine described here does not include make up, so I haven’t included my primer, dark circle aid, foundation and all steps behind foundation. For your reference: my skin is quite dry with an oily t-zone.

The Morning Routine

Step one: I’ll use my Kruidvat (Belgian drugstore) eye make-up remover to remove the last traces of mascara that have rubbed off during the night. This is a very cheap remover in two fases & it does an excellent job. I’ve used more expensive cleansers as well, but for now I haven’t discovered anything that makes such a truly significant difference making me want to pay extra.
Step two: Washing my face with Clinique’s soap bar for oily skin. I forgot to put this one on the picture, but I’m sure you all know which soap I am talking about. I’ve bought the container as well as it keeps the soap fresh & prevents it from drying out.
Step three: For toning my face in the morning I absolutely love Boots’ Organic Face Rosewater Toner. It’s a fragrant Damask Rose water, which works miracles on my skin. It does contain alcohol though, which might not work for your skin.
Step four: I’ll then spritz some Caudalie Beauty Elixir on my whole face. Some of you will now say: “Isabelle! Two toners? What are you thinking!”. Well, this actually really works for me! After using the rose toner my face will be completely clean & ready to soak up Caudalie’s beauty elixir which makes my face extremely radiant. It’ll also help reducing the size of your pores.
Step five: Now I’ll divide my skin into three areas. I’ll use Etat Pur’s Actif Pur A20 (Zinc) on my chin & nose to help tackle blackheads. Then I’ll use the A41 (Bisabolol)  on my whole face except for around the eyes. Around the eyes I’ll use A08 (Apigenin), which is meant to tackle dark circles. I’m in LOVE with A20 as it really does its job so well. If you sometimes struggle with blackheads (a sign of oily skin, by the way): get this as it’ll work miracles!
Step six: Eye cream! Do not skip this step as it is really important to treat your eye area with a cream that has an adapted formula for the area. I use Kruidvat’s eye cream with vitamin E. I really like what this one does for me, but I am open to try other eye creams. If you happen to know of a good eye cream: let me know!

Step seven: Day cream! During the day I use Babor’s Skinovage Vita Balance as it hydrates my skin extremely well & contains encapsuled pure oxygen. Also, it is the single best smelling facial cream I have ever come across. Seriously, nothing smells as good as this does.
Step eight: Sun block. I am currently using MAC Cosmetics’ Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF50 which is amazing for my skin as it does not cause any extra pimples. It can be quite hard finding your perfect facial sun block. When this one is finished I will try out Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector SPF50 as it sounds quite promising as well.

The Evening Routine

Step one: I’ll remove most of my make up with facial towlettes (not pictured). Then, I’ll remove all eye make up with Kruidvat’s eye make-up remover. 
Step two: Wash/scrub your face! Twice a week I’ll use Lush’s Angels On Bare Skin, which is an all natural cleanser with a light scrubbing effect. Other days I’ll use Clinique’s soap bar for oily skin.
Step three: Tone! When my face is suffering from pimples I’ll use Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal-Extract toner which is free of alcohol and adapted for oily skin types. It does contain Methylparaben though, so be careful if you’re allergic or strictly anti-paraben. When my skin is clear I’ll use Boots’ Organic Face Rosewater Toner.
Step four: Again, I’ll divide my skin into three areas. I’ll use Etat Pur’s Actif Pur A20 on my chin & nose to reduce blackheads, A08 around my eyes & A31 (Aloe Vera) on my whole face for maximum hydration.
Step five: Again, treat your eye area to a eye cream.
Step six: In the evening I use Etat Pur’s Biomimétique B38 as it is leaves my skin feeling completely hydrated all night long. There is no single other cream that has done that for me apart from Creme De La Mer, which sadly is too expensive for me. Sometimes, instead of a facial cream, I’ll use Weleda’s Facial Almond Oil as a treatment. It’ll soften your face & give it some extra attention.

Phew!