Autumn/Winter Skincare Routine

(Would have taken a better picture but my camera died on me)
L-R: Olay Complete Moisturising Lotion, Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum,
Clinique All About Eyes Serum, Natio Eye Gel, Clinique MoistureSurge

Winter is just around the corner for us in Australia and I have been tweaking my skincare routine to deal with the change. While summer is all about sunscreen, exfoliation and brightening products, my winter skincare routine revolves around hydration.

Products that I have left in my routine are Clinique MoistureSurge, Natio Eye Treatment Gel and a Clinique All About Eyes serum. The latter was part of a Clinique travel exclusive set and I have only just started using it since the weather started getting chilly. I can't say if it has improved the area around my eyes but it feels quite refreshing especially on days when you didn't have enough sleep.

My favourite Clinique serums -- Clinique's Turnaround Concentrate and Clinical Brightening Essence -- have been temporarily retired in favour of Clarins Bi-Phase HydraQuench Intensive Serum. A bit of a pricey purchase but my skin was drying out and peeling so badly, being cheap wasn't an option. It has been worth every penny though as my skin has improved over the past month.

One of the Yay! things about being back in Australia is that I now have access to my good ol' Olay Complete Moisturising Lotion. Hands down, this is one of the best budget moisturisers for dehydrated skin and I wish that Olay would bring this basic range to Malaysia instead of selling the crappy whitening stuff with SPF 8.

L-R: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, Dove Essential Nutrients Toner, Lush Angels on Bare Skin

I just realised that some readers might like to know what else I am using to cleanse my skin.

Spring, summer, autumn or winter, Cetaphil will always be my cleanser of choice. It has been the one constant in my skincare routine for nearly 10 years.

Most exfoliating products are quite harsh on my skin but Lush Angels on Bare Skin is gentle enough for daily use during the summer and every 2-3 days during winter.

I am not a huge user of toner but this particular Dove toner is something I find myself repurchasing time and again. I have never been able to figure out why but my skin looks clearer and more hydrated whenever I use this. Btw, you can only find this toner in Australia and New Zealand.

I nearly forgot to mention these two face masks. Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask is excellent for putting moisture back into your skin. I am sometimes tempted to use this daily but it might be overkill so I stick to a thin layer every few days. (Writing this, I notice that my skin prefers Clarins when the weather is cold and works better with Clinique when I am in a warm climate)

The Dermalogica Multivitamin Recovery Masque gets great raves from the Beaut.ie girls so I had to try it. I bought a few sample sachets from eBay (the price for a full-size tube is crazy) and it does seem to work. My skin definitely looks brighter but I am not sure if the avocado and corn oils in this mask is making me break out. Either way, I am proceeding with caution on this one!