AD | Autumn Skincare Saviours from Very.co.uk

[AD: This post is sponsored by Very.co.uk]

OK, hands up everyone who started 2020 looking more-or-less their usual age, but who’ll be ending it looking at least TWICE that? With bells on?

My hands are both well and truly in the air here, because it’s fair to say that this year has NOT been kind to my appearance. Not only have I not seen a hairdresser since last November, I’ve also found that my motivation to do things like eat well, exercise, and drink enough water has really taken a beating. Well, it’s tough being so close to the fridge all the time, isn’t it?

Lately, though, I’ve been feeling like something has to give: and, because I’d rather it NOT be the waistband of my jeans, I’ve been trying my best – albeit in a limited, 2020 kinda way – to get a grip, and start looking after myself a little better. So I’ve been going running a few times per week. I’m making a heroic effort to occasionally drink liquids that aren’t coffee or wine (Even though I think we all know those are the only liquids worth drinking, and everything else is just a giant chore, really…). And, with the help of my sponsors at Very.co.uk, I’ve embarked on a new skincare routine, using some of these products, from their beauty section:

Emma Hardie Brilliance Facial Oil

I know the best thing I could do for my skin right now would be to start drinking a couple of litres of water every day, but I also know I’m not cut out for that kind of commitment, so, instead, I’m just having to throw skincare products at it, and hope for the best, really. To be fair, my skin isn’t terrible right now: it’s just a bit tired and dull looking – and I don’t blame it – so Emma Hardie’s Brilliance Facial Oil has been a real treat for it: in fact, it practically wept with gratitude the first time I used it.

This product is a blend of essential oils and plant extracts, which work to both provide moisture, and protect your skin from any further damage. You can use it both am and pm, either under your moisturiser or mixed in with it, and, although it’s an oil, it’s a mercifully lightweight one, so it won’t make your makeup slide off your face, or leave a ‘Turin’s Shroud’ style imprint on your pillowcase, either. Oh, and I also find the scent very soothing, which makes it a particularly nice addition to my night-time routine.

REN Clean Skincare – Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream

I almost didn’t try REN’s Overnight Glow, because its primary aim is to reduce the appearance of dark spots… which I don’t actually have. The lovely scent, however, won me over, and I’m glad it did, because this has helped brighten my dull skin (Without lightening it: which is super-important to me, obviously, because the very last thing I want is to look even paler than I already am…), and make me look a little bit more… well, alive, for want of a better word. Did I mention it smells divine? because that’s important too, obviously…

ELEMIS Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser

It might surprise you to hear it, but, after the first few weeks of lockdown, when I lived in sweatpants and no makeup, I have actually gone back to wearing makeup every day, purely because it makes me feel a bit better about myself, even if no one actually sees me. I haven’t, however, been bothering with things like primer, so Elemis Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser was a bit of a revelation to me, in that it’s one of those products I’d have sworn I didn’t need, but which has actually become a staple part of my routine.

As you’ve probably sussed from the name, this is a primer and moisturiser in one: I mostly use it under my foundation, to get that ‘dewy’ look I’m always after, but it also works well on its own, for a natural-but-polished kind of look. I love it, and find it perfect for days when you don’t want to be bothered with too much makeup, but don’t want to look like an extra in The Walking Dead, either.

L’OCCITANE Shea Butter Hand Cream

Finally, I’ve written about L’Occitane hand cream before, but I will never stop singing its praises – and I’ll apparently never be able to stop using it, either, because, the second I stop, my hands revert back to their usual dragon hide status within a matter of days. I’ve now had to add hand cream to the apparently endless list of things I have to remember to bring with me every time I leave the house, and, while this one doesn’t smell quite as good as the rose version I was previously using, it does come in a satisfyingly large tube, which should last me… ooh, at least a couple of weeks, at my current rate of consumption?

All of these are available at Very.co.uk’s beauty section: what have you been using this season?