You know when your skin feels a bit congested, and no amount of a good cleanser seems to actually make it feel clean?
Enter facial scrubs. I am a huge fan since my skin, with all its issues, seem to demand that, from time to time, a use something less gentle to keep it under control.
And because I like variety and rotate skin products, I decided to share the scrubs that have been keeping my skin in check:
The Alpha H Micro Cleanse Super Scrub (£35.95 for 100ml) has been a favourite for ages. Alpha H has some lovely products all with my dear glycolic acid, which here is at 12%. The formula also contains eco-friendly jojoba beads, caffeine and peppermint, for renewed and refreshed skin.
It’s a fine but tough scrub; it does have at-home microdermabrasion properties and I leave on my face for a few minutes so the glycolic acid can work on the skin.
The Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish (£9.99 for 125ml) is one of the finest I’ve ever encountered and I love it! So effective yet gentle, it is infused with extracts from the leaves of the Gingko plant and polishes away dead skin to reveal smoother radiance.
In fact, Botanics, which you can get from Boots UK, was one of my biggest budget skincare discoveries this year and I will be soon talking about more products, the company, their love of natural ingredients and how they work with Kew Gardens to deliver the best plant power to our skin!
The gorgeous dermalogica daily microfoliant (£48 for 75g) that has been with me forever! I love this dry rice powder product that releases papain, salicylic acid and rice enzymes when wet.
Can be mixed with water but my best tip is to mix with your favourite foamy face wash. Works a treat for gentle exfoliation and can be used more frequently so super soft skin.
And talking about powders in a tub, meet the Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub (around £7.99 for 125g), which is Bioré‘s answer to the bad boys microbeads.
Activated by mixing with water, it fizzes up for cleansing and gentle exfoliating – and you can make is thicker or thinner, depending on how much exfoliation is required. The fact is completely dissolves helps avoid over-scrubbing.
Of course, scrubbing should be done lightly, in upwards circular movements to also help boost circulation on the skin. Never over-scrub as this can hurt the skin and in case of spots, make them worse!
It is also very important to pick a scrub for your skin type. Sensitive skins will not like it very much and maybe you should opt for a gentle chemical exfoliator instead.
Still, I find the act of using a facial scrub extremely satisfying! Am I alone on that?
Oil on my face. That is something I never thought I’d put on deliberately. Having had problematic, blemish skin all my life, I always struggled with the oiliness of my dry skin.
And now, I cannot live my life without it. For those that like me ran away from facial oils, give it a go. The reasoning behind it is that if you provide oils to the skin, it won’t produce, or produce much less of it.
The this works stress check face oil is a bliss, I’ve been loving it recently. On top of its redness relief, calming and hydrating properties, thanks to its botanical oils, vitamin C, E and omega 3, it has the most calming neroli, patchouli, lavender, vetivert and camomile fragrance. A treat for face and mind.
It is 100% natural and works towards detoxifying and regenerating stressed skin. Full review coming soon!
I love that Dr Jackson’s everyday oil also comes in a handy roll on, perfect for travelling, and perfect to carry on the plane. Definitely one to invest on for the holiday season, for its portability and to help sun exposed skin heal!
For more specific needs, the 
The market is brimming with great products, for all budgets. It is a great time for facial oils. And my skin is grateful!
Now, why not, this Christmas, give the gift of good skin?
Perfect for this time of the year and multitasking, this kit will cater for many skin concerns. You can also layer the masks – when I say this is a super muilti-tasking kit, I mean business!
We’ve all been there: great party straight out of a stressful day in the office. And now with the end of year parties in full swing, it is likely you are finding yourself in that situation more often than not.
For skin that has been in the office (and in party mode) the 
To refresh your makeup, invest in a little multi-tasking palette which doesn’t take much space and will go a long way.
For you lips, my newest obsession, liquid lipsticks are just perfect as they are quick to apply. At the moment, Kat Von D Vampira is my autumn go-to shade and scream edgy party look.
A small deodorant goes a long way – I love the little 
Sore feet? Carnation has a fabulous range to maximise your heel-wearing span and I love this Anti-Blister Stick, which minimises the party-busting shoe rubbing.
Make sure you always carry flats; I love these 
For extra hair oomph use a good dry shampoo. I love the 
I always carry a good brush with me, and this mini 
Has barely made it home for a shower? This tiny Gillette Venus razor is perfect for shaving on the go. Showers in the office or the gym? Done! Just make sure you rinse the floor well :)!
Finally, to smell good, nothing better than a roller ball fragrance. The 
Here I go say it again: I love oils. I know I keep going on about it but there are so many amazing products now on the market I cannot help but rave about it.
The best thing is that is does not compromise the foundation finish (except for a subtle added glow) and durability. Skin does not feel greasy, heavy or as if it is about to melt.
I am very lucky to be a friend of dermalogica, a brand I’ve been a fan of for a while. Everything I try agrees with my skin, and their new hydrablur primer is no different.
It does spread ok, there is a bit of drag and a little does not go such a long way, but upon application, you can clearly see the blurring properties: skin is smooth, even and slightly mattified.
Overall, this product delivers in its three promises and I am quite impressed.
In 2015 I fell in love with skincare even more. I really drilled onto the nurturing aspect of dealing with my difficult and acneic skin, and the results, overall, are amazing.
Dr Jackson Facial Oil
Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Broad Spectrum anti-wrinkle protect cream:
This works light time skin plumper
Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus
Liz Earle Superskin Face Serum
Bee Good Hydrate, Smooth and Prime Serum:
Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster
Nivea lip butter
Dermalogica intensive eye repair
S5 renew eye cream
S5 Clarity Cleanser:
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
Caudalie Instant Detox Mask: a pink clay mask that purifies and tightens without drying. In fact, all Caudalie masks are ace, I also use the Glycolic Peel and the Moisturizing mask which are fab.
I love a good toner, and the Pixi Glow Tonic is just that. Slightly exfoliating, it delivers radiance within days of use. And has a great price.
I wasn’t sure how to call the 
Can’t live without a face mist, and in the winter even more so. The 
Ted Baker, £24 for 3, from Debenhams
Jo Malone, £32
Boots No7 Cracker Collection, £16 for 6
Every summer is the same: I develop unsightly hormonal hyper pigmentation on my face, just below the eye area.
I did notice that, using this in conjunction to the pure night moisturiser, the hormonal spots seem to fade quicker and evenly.
So Many Lovely Things 