Skincare is a minefield. Unlike make up, finding products you trust is a bit more of a chore. Often people tend to scrimp on skincare and splurge on make up. However, the colder weather and hotter central heating mean your skin is about to take a bashing and it’s worth knowing where you should invest your money and where you can afford to save some money.
Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm
Feel Unique – £36
People often think that moisturisers are where the big bucks should be spent but this is not the case at all. Cleansers are much more important than your moisturiser as they give you a blank canvas to work on. Usually drug store brands tend to be too harsh which will actually strip your skin of all it’s moisture; this will result in your skin over compensating and producing more oil – and nobody likes a shiny face. Additionally, there are so many facial cleansers available at drugstores and without a trained beauty counter expert to help you pick the right cleanser, the chances of you picking the perfect one are pretty slim. You want something gentle, yet still powerful enough to remove your make up like Kiehl’s Centella Cleanser (£24.60) or Emma Hardie’s Moringa Cleansing Balm (£36). Save your skin on this one and splurge.
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
Kiehl’s – £36
I honestly don’t believe you can spend too much on good serum. As a student, all those drinks and late nights will definitely show on your face and a good serum will counteract all (well most) of it. Also your twenties are fast approching and there is no better time than to invest in your skin. This one is a definite splurge. I’d recommend Elizabeth Arden’s 8 hour Cream (£20) or Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery (£36).
Cosmetic Catastrophe Mask
Lush – £6.25
You’d think that splurging on an occasional facial treat would be make more sense but actually you can find some really good inexpensive masks on the high street. My favourite is the Lush Cosmetic Catastrophe mask which is a steal at just £5. It doesn’t last very long, but you can always share it with a friend (and halve your costs). Masks are good place to save because most of them do very similar things, which is draw out impurites. Also they aren’t a key part of a basic skin routine so you can save a pretty penny here.
Traditional Skincare Toner
Boots – £2.32
Toners – you either love them or you hate them. I personally am not a big fan of the toner as I feel it’s almost an unnecessary step and because of this I think you can save money on toners. A word of caution though, a lot of drugstore toners have a very high alcohol content which will simply strip your skin of all moisture and leave it feeling tight before producing too much oil. Look for a toner with a large water content and moisturising properties. My personal favourite was the Boots Traditional Skincare Glycerin and Rosewater Toner (£2.32).
Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Moisturiser
Lloyd’s Pharmacy – £3.69
Moisturisers are a bit of a grey area in that they can be splurged on or saved on. You can find good moisturisers on the high street if your skin falls into the straightforward skin types and so you can really save on such a product. However, if you have more problematic skin it might be worth splurging on this one as you’ll want something that’s going to target your more troublesome skin. I persoanally like Simple’s Moisturisers (£2.00) for my save option and Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturiser ( for my splurge option.
What products do you splurge on?
