Okay, I know, I am soooo far behind on the trends but let me explain! When the 10 step Korean beauty routines were coming out, I of course, got sucked into the hype but as it’s me I was also super skeptical that using 10 products could make you as flawless as all of the gorgeous Koreans out there. Amidst the hype, I decided to give the routine a go for a month to see if it really worked and to see if my forever dry skin would finally be moisturised for more than 5 minutes. Surprise! It totally worked and I had never looked more flawless.

It all kind of went to hell when I had to travel back to Hong Kong for Christmas and hadn’t quite figured out how to make a travel sized version of what I was doing. Well, one thing lead to another, and I was back to just washing my face and moisturising once, maybe twice, a day. As with most skincare fads, this one died down, but my longing for the perfect skin I had in that month did not. Instagram from the time included to show the flawlessness that once was. 

When I started to reach the end of my current selection of beauty products, I decided that maybe now was the perfect time to pick up my skincare routine and try and be as cruelty free as possible. The only products not Leaping Bunny approved are mostly things I had previously and are trying to use up before I swap to something cruelty free. The exception to this is Garnier, which I didn't realise wasn't cruelty free until after I purchased it. A silly mistake on my part but one I won't be making again!

I’ve started up my routine again, and now I’ve got a partner to do it with me! Yay George for being a skincare enthusiast and enjoying the daily pamper sessions we’re getting out of our routines. So before we get into every single product, here’s what our routines look like: 

They differ ever so slightly from the original Korean skincare routines because even though I want to be a flawless baby-faced angel, there is a part of me that still thinks some of the steps are unnecessary. From the “original” routines, I cut out the need to do a sheet mask everyday, and replaced that with a proper good mud mask once a week instead. Upon using both the serum and essences as well, I’ve found that I rarely need to do both as my skin ends up feeling almost caked with product, so instead I feel it out and decide as I’m going along, what I need more on any given day. Right! Let’s get to the products.

Step 1 & 2: Oil/Water based Cleansers + Scrubs

We’re starting off with our soaps, all from LUSH and all as lush as you would expect. For me, I use Fresh Farmacy as my oil based cleanser and Movis as both my water based cleanser and scrub. Fresh Farmacy is a standard as they come bar soap and nothing super special in my opinion. It smells great and gets the job done though, so I’m not complaining! Movis is a really gentle exfoliating bar, so I really don’t feel like I’m scratching the life out of my face, and it gives me that great clean-face feeling after I’ve used it. 

Step 3: Toner

Next, I use Garnier’s Rose Water Toner, which is an absolute delight to put on my face as it smells great and is super refreshing especially in the morning. If you’re skeptical about using toner, I’m telling you now to USE IT! I read up a little bit on why toners are so key in so many skincare routines and it’s because it helps to moisten your face after you’ve washed it and helps your face to act like a wet sponge. Now that does sound gross but, wet sponges absorb more liquid faster so by using toner on your face followed by your moisturisers, your face now absorbs all your lovely moisturisers much better! 

Step 4 & 5: Serums and Essences

We’re now at the moisturising stage. It’s time for essence and serums and all of those highly concentrated products that help with your “problem areas”. For me that’s just all around having a face as dry as the Sahara, and for those nights where I’ve foregone sleep for staying up on my phone, eye bags that supermarkets would charge extra for. I have two essence/serums for the morning and one for the night, which help with these things. All from The Body Shop, I use both Drops of Light and Oils of Life in the morning, and Vitamin E in the evening. The Drops of Life is a much lighter essence, which really feels like it revitalises my skin and leaves me feeling fresh, whereas the Oils of Life is more of a heavy serum and makes me feel more deeply moisturised. Vitamin E is a bit heavy but with a night cream on top it really helps!

Step 6: Eye Cream

After I’m done essencing my face, we move on to eye creams and sometimes lip cream if it’s Winter and my lips look like dried up coral from the ocean. I’ve been using Benefit’s Eye Cream for as long as I can remember but I’m ready to change it up once I’m done with this pot. It does the job, but leaves my under eyes feeling a little tingly, which is worrying. I use any old lip balm, for my Sahara lips and then it’s on to the final steps! 

Step 7: Moisturisers

My moisturisers are Garnier’s Rose Water Moisturiser and Nivea’s Night Cream. As the routine calls for suncream, I have slightly copped out and gone for a day moisturiser with SPF. I do however add suncream on particularly hot summer days, but let it slide in the winter. The night cream however is thicc, and goes on a treat every night. As I snuggle up into bed, I know I’ll wake up feeling moisturised! 

But Soph, what about make-up?! Well, if I do put on make-up after the routine, I would just do eyeshadow, liner, mascara, lips, and a bomb-ass highlight. I’m not a big foundation or primer girl, so instead of foundations and primer, I put my time and money into my skincare routine instead. Also, contrary to popular belief, this routine really doesn’t last as long as you think it might. The first few days are a bit slow because you’re getting into the routine but once you get the hang of it, you'll be done in 10 minutes tops! 

And that's all folks, beautiful skin in 10 minutes with a routine that makes you feel like you're in a spa, when you're standing in your bathroom. I would totally recommend this routine to anyone who is looking for the spa feeling from your bedroom, or any beauty enthusiasts who are looking to switch their morning routines up a bit. 

Until next time friends, 
Soph x

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