Laura Loves: clinique

My skin has been awful just lately. I don't know if it's due to stress or just pure laziness on my behalf but I have come out in lots of unwanted breakouts and by that I mean SPOTS. That dreaded word nobody wants to be thinking about past the age of 20. I have always had pretty bad skin and suffered from mild acne in my teens. Like any normal teenager, I tried anything and everything to clear my skin. The only thing that really worked for me however was the combined pill as recommended by my doctor. In my case it was a lot to do with hormone imbalance. However, along the way I have found a few skincare products that are lifesavers when it comes to cleansing your skin and freeing it from acne. One of these being the anti- blemish skincare range by Clinique.

I first starting purchasing Clinique products when I was around 17. I went to see one of the specialists at Debenhams who sat me down and did a skin test on me. Turns out, I have combination skin which if you didn't know means I can get quite oily on my T zone areas particularly. The specialist recommended I try Clinique's anti - blemish solution foundation and after matching one of their foundations to my skin perfectly I purchased it there and then along with the rest of the products in the collection. Now everyone loves seeing results but I didn't expect my skin to change so rapidly in such a short amount of time.

The skincare regime is so easy and well worth the money. There are three steps in total to this regime. Step 1 requires a quick wash in the morning with the anti - blemish cleansing foam followed by Step 2, a small amount of the clarifying lotion to tone your skin afterwards. The final step of course is to moisturise. Just a tiny amount of the anti - blemish clearing moisturiser and you are finished. Please note, the other products in these pictures are extras I have purchased along the way. These include the spot treatment gel and moisture surge intense skin hydrator.

Step 1 and Step 2 of your cleansing regime

Start by using the cleansing foam

Then move on to the clarifying lotion. Just a small amount on a cotton wool ball will suffice.

Next, just a little bit of the clearing moisturiser will work wonders on your spots.

I tend to follow the exact same routine after taking by make-up off, just before bed as for me leftover make-up on my face causes havoc with my skin. After a couple of weeks you should start to notice a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. Redness should be reduced, pores should be cleansed and most importantly, spots should be starting to clear.

Have you ever tried Clinique products? What products do you swear by for cleaner healthier looking skin?

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I know this is a popular topic amongst beauty bloggers so I thought I would ‘jump on the bandwagon’ essentially and share with you some of my beauty essentials.

We must begin with my favourite make-up product, one that I couldn't possibly live without, my Clinque Anti Blemish Foundation. In fact this foundation has been a personal favourite of mine ever since I turned sixteen (or old enough to start wearing make-up). I used to suffer from pretty bad acne in my teenage years so finding a foundation that wasn't oily and was designed for covering blemishes was essential. This foundation is very light on the face and doesn't clog your pores like a lot of liquid foundations often do so say goodbye to any further skin imperfections! I think I last paid around £22 for this foundation but it is a great foundation to wear either in the day or at night and therefore well worth the money. You don't need a lot of this foundation to achieve flawless skin so it usually lasts me a good couple of months. However, if you do want to build cover and go for a more ‘painted on’ look essentially, then the precise applicator allows you to measure out exactly how much you desire.

My second beauty favourite has to be my Mac eyebrow pencil. Big eyebrows are very much in at the moment and I love this eyebrow definer. It is very easy to apply and looks very natural to the brow line. It doesn't smudge (so perfect if you like going out clubbing like me) and can often last all day; I never feel the need to reapply. On the downside it is fairly expensive for what it is (£12) as I always end up using it very quickly. However I don't mind paying for quality over quantity in this instance. After trying numerous eyebrow pencils over the years, this has to be my favourite! It comes in numerous different shades and with it being a Mac product you can get one of the beauticians in store to test this out on you beforehand. I usually go for the spiked shade which is one of the darker shades but blends in great with my eyebrows!

Concealer: now I have always struggled to get a good concealer, hence why I have so many different brands of concealer in my make-up bag! However this little beauty has to be up there with some of the best on the high street. Benefit erase paste concealer which is used under the eyes and on skin imperfections does a great job of covering those dark circles in particular, something I know too well about. The great thing about this product is you only need tiny amount and it works wonders! Even though it is fairly expensive (£26) and prominently used under the eyes, it comes in three different shades and is very long lasting. Seriously say goodbye to those bags ladies!