How about when you notice your makeup is not looking great on the skin or applying well? Or are you just not sure what your skincare routine should look like?

Looking after your skin isn’t always the first thing that springs to mind. It can seem like faff, time-consuming nonsense. But what if looking after your skin is the key to all the things you do not like about it? Lack of radiance, looking tired, skin texture that feels rough and dry, pigmentation is coming out after years of skin damage. I could go on.

If you want to look and feel like your best self, age fairly well, and just have that healthy, radiant skin, then looking at your skincare is a must.

There are many products on the market, which makes it confusing and overwhelming. I completely understand! Part of my job as a makeup artist is to prep my clients skin to the best of its ability prior to makeup. I also make it a topic to discuss in my makeup lessons. I want to help other women look and feel amazing. Let me share with you a skincare routine I feel will be beneficial to you.

You may feel the below is overkill, so take away from this post what you want. I would rather share with you everything that could be beneficial to you than a couple of key components.

Cleansing, or cleaning your skin, should always be your first and last step when taking care of your skin. Soap and water seem to be the norm among mature clients that I meet, or the dreaded face wipes. Cleansing is the first step in investing in your skin. If you want to improve your skin texture, eliminate blemishes, and have an overall healthy radiance, please do not skip this step.

Cleansing removes dirt, oils, and daily buildup on the skin. It cleans your pores, which helps with unexpected breakouts and improves skin texture and health.

My advice, from an avid cleanser, is to use your product once in the morning and twice at night (double cleansing) if you are wearing makeup. The first wash will remove your makeup, and the second wash will clean the skin itself. Cleansing will prepare your skin for success when followed by further skincare products.

My two tried and test favourite cleansers depending on your budget are as follows;

Exfoliating is key to keeping your skin fresh and free of excess dead skin cells. Our skin sheds by itself, but as we age, this process slows down, which means we need to give it some extra help.

I would recommend adding this to your routine once a week. You will notice that your skin is softer and more radiant. If you find your skin looking dull or a little lacklustre, adding this step will help your skin look less tired and grey. Exfoliating will help to encourage your skin’s cell turnover and the generation of new cells.

Not all skin can tolerate a scrub exfoliator. Particularly if you have sensitive skin or rosacea. A scrub can cause minor tears in the skin, causing damage to the skin barrier. For ageing skin, I recommend either a liquid exfoliant that you can use daily or an exfoliating cleanser. Avoid using an exfoliating cleanser around the eyes.

Below are my two top picks that align with budgets on different scales.

After cleansing, I feel that “treating” your skin is one of the most important steps of your routine. You may think moisturiser is the vital step, but it is the serum you use.

This is the stage where you can focus on getting the much-needed hydration back into your skin and taking the time to address any concerns you may have. Serum goes to the deeper levels of your skin. It works on the new skin cells that haven’t come to the surface yet. Serum is the time to hydrate these new cells, so when they get to the surface, your skin feels soft and supple, more plump, and radiant.

If you are looking to treat specific issues, such as pigmentation or fine lines, you will want to do a little research to find the most suitable product for you.

I am very much about hydrating the skin, so look for products that will give the skin a boost of hydration.

These are two products that I highly recommend depending on your budget.

If you want to boost your skin to the next level, I would highly recommend introducing a vitamin C serum. This is a product that I would layer after your hydrating serum or after cleansing if you decide a hydrating serum is not for you.

Vitamin C is something you would reach for if you have pigmentation, an uneven skin tone, wrinkles, dryness, and an overall dull, lacklustre complexion. This type of serum helps to even out your skin tone and brighten your skin. It encourages collagen production, works on sun damage, helps with signs of ageing, and hydrates the skin.

Vitamin C could be your all-round face serum; however, I love to layer it with a separate hydrating serum to ensure the skin gets all the goodness it needs as it is changing. One thing to note with vitamin C is that you need a product that is potent. This is where you do not want to buy a cheap product; you need to invest in your serum to get the best ingredients and the results you desire.

My top two recommendations, depending on your budget, are;

One area of skincare that I find is overlooked is eye cream. I think it is a misconception that brands are just trying to sell you something you do not need, but this cannot be further from the truth.

The consistency of an eye cream is much different from that of your usual moisturiser; it is designed to be used on the delicate skin around the eyes. Adding an eye cream to your routine will help with dark circles, fine lines, all-day hydration, and, in some cases, puffiness.

If you are a makeup wearer, specifically using a concealer under the eyes, a cream will transform the way your concealer looks and applies. Without hydrating the undereye, you will notice your concealer looks dry and, in some cases, heavy and cakey. This is a direct result of not hydrating under and around the eyes.

My top two eye cream picks depending on your budget are;

Think of your moisturiser as locking in all the goodness from your serums and creating a barrier to keep the hydration in the skin. We lose a lot of hydration from our skin throughout the day, especially when we are exposed to the elements outside and heat inside the home or office. You want to lock in the layers of hydration you have been working hard to put back into the skin.

Your moisturiser should be helping to hydrate your skin further while also protecting your skin barrier. Your skin will feel soft, supple, and more plumped with a good layer of moisturiser massaged into it. You may need to adjust your moisturiser if it is not quenching the skin. If you have very dry, flaky skin, you may benefit from a richer consistency.

These are my top two picks, depending on your budget.

If you find that after cleaning your skin it feels parched, dry, and uncomfortable, it would be worth having a hydrating face mist in your routine. This is something I personally do. I find it gives my skin that first much-needed layer of hydration and soaks up the goodness right away. Since I have been using a hydrating mist, I have noticed a massive improvement in my skin's hydration.

This is very much an optional step, but I do feel it is beneficial if you are committed to improving your skin’s hydration.

My two top-recommended facial mists are;

All of the above links are affiliate links, which means I earn a very small commission from any purchases you make. This does not affect your shopping experience at all. If you decide you would like to purchase any of my recommendations, please utilise my 20% discount code for Look Fantastic “LFTFNICOLALOUISE”.