I confess: When it comes to skincare, I’ve been pretty slack. Growing up, I didn’t have to worry about acne or other similar issues, so I never thought about taking better care of my skin. Strangely enough, now that I’m older, I ended up having more zits than I did than when I was in my teens. Not to mention, the signs of aging are finally nudging me!

That’s why I became a late bloomer when it comes to skincare. I’ve only recently started to find good products and routines. And, one of the first skincare products that I’ve tried properly are Clarins Paris products.

The lady at the Clarins counter over at Myer’s department store was very helpful. No wonder I ended up with a lot of items that I wasn’t exactly planning on purchasing. The power of retail persuasion in action. Heh.

In any case, of course, skincare products really depend on the type of skin you have. It’s always good to get some advice before starting the journey of buying. Especially since they can definitely eat in to your savings account. While I know the advice that I received was biased, it was still useful for me to learn that:

• There are 4 essential items that every woman should have in their facial skincare cabinet: 1) a good facial cleanser; 2) a toner; 3) a facial day cream (preferably, with SPF protection); and 4) a facial night cream/moisturiser. If there’s room for one more, it should be a day/night eye cream. The rest are optional items that you can build on.
• A good body moisturiser/lotion is definitely useful too.
• Additional items that will be useful include: a mask; an exfoliating cleanser; and a hydration serum or cream.

For my first official foray in to serious skincare, I ended up purchasing the items you see above (some were in a package/came for free). And, some of these Clarins products are (Face skincare line):

• Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser – To be used after shower in the morning, and before going to sleep at night, to wash the face.
• Clarins Toning Lotion – To be used after washing the face with the cleanser, using a cotton ball.
• Multi-Active Day Cream (for all skin types) – To be applied to face and neck after cleansing and toning in the morning. Just before applying make-up!
• HydraQuench Cream – To be applied to face and neck after cleansing and toning at night time. I really like this product, as you can immediately feel the smoothness of your skin. But, it’s quite pricey! That’s why I’m on the hunt for possible alternatives.
• HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase – This is meant to be applied before either of the day/night cream. Depending on the severity of your dry skin, you can opt to use this either once a day – or just once a week.

The last Clarins product I purchased is in their make-up line. And, it’s called Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (labeled as Lisse Minute). And, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Possibly my favourite purchase of the lot. It’s basically something you apply after the morning skincare routine. It acts as a foundation/concealer. Smoothens the face and serves as a ’second skin’. You can then build on it with your favourite make-up.

So, what about you? What’s skincare routine like? Any skincare products that you wish to recommend?

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