As someone with the most sensitive skin in the world, it’s really important for me to look after my skin. I was one of those very very unlucky people who were born with combination skin, that delightful mixture of oily and dry skin and I only have to look at junk food for it to flare up on my face! Also I have to exfoliate my skin every day or it will literally fall off…lovely, huh? I try not to wear make-up to college or when it’s not necessary but I do love wearing it and so I decided to write a little blog post about my favourite pieces of make-up and skin care tips, especially for people who suffer with the same temperamental skin as I do!

Skincare: I have to do a full skin care routine before I put any make-up on or my skin looks like something out of a horror film. I try to drink water a lot but I really can’t stand it, so I’ve begun to drink cold water flavoured with lemon and a hot water with lemon every night. if you can’t get your hands on fresh lemon, lemon juice will do but fresh always tastes nicer! I know it sounds cliché as well but exercise really does help! As my thesis was handed in only recently and I’m finishing up all my assignments, exercise has really been put on the back burner. However, I’ll be joining the gym this weekend when I finally move to Galway to try to feel more comfortable in my body and skin (full gym report to follow!). So yeah, exercise, water and of course, a good diet. However, don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t have your little treats, a diet can fail so so quickly when you cut out everything you love so make sure you spoil yourself every once in a while! I eat salads almost every day but I won’t deny myself chocolate when I really need it!

I start by using Clean and Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Scrub. It smells A-MAZING and leaves my skin feeling bright, fresh and smelling good as well as unclogging my pores and getting rid of all the dead skin cells that cling to my face. Its cheap enough compared to other scrubs and lasts for a while. The main advantage of this scrub is that it doesn’t drag on and inflame sensitive skin, which is a must for me!

I then follow by doing a cleansing, toning and moisturising routine. As a ‘poor’ student, I try to keep it as economical as possible while still buying something that will be good for my face! I start by using Garnier Skin Natural Soft Essentials Cleansing Milk in Rose and then use the corresponding Skin Natural Soft Essentials Toner, both made for dry and sensitive skin. The rose extract smells amazing and they’re only €3.89 each in Tesco. I’d recommend these to anyone with sensitive skin and using them with proper cotton wool keeps your skin incredibly soft!

After that I use Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream. A big tub of it is €5.95 in the supermarket and it leaves your skin feeling amazingly soft. If you have oilier skin, I might recommend seeing what else there is out there but as my skin is more dry than oily, I swear by it! I finish up by dabbing Germoline antiseptic cream on any blemishes that I have. Its less oily than the popular Irish counterpart Savlon and dries any blemishes you have quickly and efficiently. This is only €2.45 for a big tube and lasts a seriously long time. Tips like not touching your face too much and keeping your skin hydrated is the best way to keep your skin looking clear and refreshed!

For my body, I use Soap & Glory ‘The Righteous Butter‘. I absolutely love Soap & Glory products and although they’re a little bit on the pricey side, this cleared up my dry skin so so much from the first use. Plus the packaging is absolutely lovely!

Make-up: Onto the make-up and I have way too many products! I absolutely adore Benefit and MAC and try to hit the Benefit counter whenever I get to the UK and I have money! I went over to Glasgow last weekend and bought myself some new bits and just love them. I also love trying new products and love when a Benefit set has all new products that I have tried yet. I bought ‘Primping With the Stars’ last week and I’m delighted I’ve never tried any of the products! It was extra special as I think the Benefit team may have put it out by accident as it’s not for general release for another two weeks and is exclusively available at Boots.com…I won’t complain though! I can’t wait to try it!

Foundation/Base: Before foundation, I use a number of Benefit products. I use Boi-ing concealer in No1 to cover any blemishes I have on my face and then put Erase Paste in Medium to get rid of those pesky little bags under my eyes that are more like shopping trolleys at the moment! After this I put on ‘That Gal‘ as a primer to cool my red cheeks and create an even skin tone! I got the ‘That Gal’ and ‘Erase Paste’ in a set I bought a couple of years ago called ‘Confessions of a Concealaholic‘ which was so fantastic and lasted so long!

Then I use my MAC foundation. I’m also the palest person in the world and have to have the lightest foundation in the shop which makes me look like a ghost in photos. This also means I can’t really use tan or bronzer but we all have crosses to bear and all that! My foundation is Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation in NC15, the lightest foundation MAC do. I really should shop around for another one, but I have this one tried and tested and its very difficult for me to find another foundation so pale! This also covers me and as long as I have my skin prepped, it won’t make my skin look horrendous! One thing I don’t like is that the staying power isn’t great but if I’m heading out for the night, a little bit of hairspray does the trick (so bad for your skin though, i don’t advise it)!

On top of this, I like to have a powder that will give it a bit of staying power and recently discovered 17 Miracle Matte Pressed Powder in Natural Fair. This gets rid of any oily skin I have and creates a matte finish which makes your skin soft and natural looking!

Eyes: I’ve always thought my eyes are my best feature and they say you should flaunt your best feature…at least that’s my way of justifying the money I spend on eye make-up! Before this year I always did a smokey eye with MAC Carbon Matte eyeshadow and absolutely loved it, although I find you had to put a lot of layers on sometimes. However this year, my boyfriend bought me the Urban Decay Naked2 palette and I am in love! I follow a lot of eye make-up tutorials online and love using the palette to create different looks. Also the black eyeshadow is perfect for a long-lasting look, but be warned it smudges!

For definition, I use ‘Soap & Glory Smoulder Kohl’ in Superblack and love it. I usually layer it on over the Urban Decay just to give it a bit more of a kick and adds proper definition. I use Benefit ‘Bad Gal’ mascara on top to create a natural but bold look for my eyelashes and I define my eyebrows with my new Benefit ‘Instant Brow Pencil’ in Deep. I’m not a huge fan of the scouse brow or anything but I like to make sure my eyebrows look well-defined to create a good shape on my face.

Lips: I love bright lipstick and have quite a collection of bright lipsticks in red, orange and pink. I bought the MAC Archie Comics Limited Edition lipstick in Ronnie Red last week and absolutely love it. I like Rimmel lipsticks especially the Lasting Finish by Kate No. 110 and the Lasting Finish in Alarm but I find Rimmel lipsticks can get bitty and flakey very quickly and wipes off quickly. I also love the Limited Edition Sail La Vie lipstick that MAC did last summer and I’m dreading finishing the stick because its been discontinued!

Highlighter: To finish it all off I use Benefit ‘High Beam‘ under my cheekbones and ‘Watt’s Up‘ over my cheekbones, under my eyes and under my eyebrows to create a nice finish on my skin!

I hope this has helped and you find some make-up products that you like! I love all these products because they really help my sensitive skin and help me create a range of make-up looks I love! If you’ve any questions or want any advice or tips about the products I use, drop me an email and I’d love to help!

Keep styling, Em x