Greek Treats

Even after my holiday to Greece last year, I became obsessed with Greek yoghurt. I know it is not the most healthy thing in the world, but it my breakfast staple now and I cannot live without. So imagine my excitement when I found out that my favourite Greek Brand Korres have a Yoghurt Moisturising Mask?! It is perfect post-sun but also in winter I imagine. It actually smells of yoghurt mixed with honey, and is infused with Olive Oil for super soft skin afterwards.
It's yummy enough to eat.
Korres Yoghurt Moisturising Mask, £19.00

All Systems Go

I like products that act quickly. Recently, my skin has been on the sensitive side with some redness, partly due to the weather and partly due to stress I'm sure. However, it's comforting to think that a product can pep up your skin with hardly any effort. I like in beauty what Nigella likes in cooking: quick and easy wins.

!QMSMEDICOSMETICS Activator Mask is an interesting concept from the get-go. You soak a little fleece inside a capful of liquid and then spread out the fleece (which has been pre-cut to a face-shape) on to your skin, resembling something of the serial killer from Halloween. BUT, and it's a big but, the results are worth every minute. My skin was refreshed and hydrated in just 10 minutes. It's highly concentrated with Hyaluronic Acid, which delivers intense moisture to the skin and plumps it up, so to speak.

Just be sure to be at home alone when you decide to 'activate' it.

!QMSMEDICOSMETICS Activator Mask, £64

Honey I Shrunk My Pores

Now that I am seeing more and more red leaves on the trees, I am starting to truly embrace Autumn. I am drinking endless cups of lemon, ginger and honey with hot water, in my mind the most warming drink when it's cold outside.

Something that is just as sweet and comforting I've found, is Liz Earle's Deep Cleansing Mask with Manuka Honey and Green Clay. It's so gentle and the scent of the honey is overwhelmingly fresh. It actually smells like proper honey that I used to buy in Russia out of barrels when I was little.

This mask absorbs excess oils and can even be dabbed on to spots for an overnight treatment. But best of all, once you wash it off with the natural sponge, which naturally exfoliates, you're left with a flushed complexion as if you've just been for a brisk walk. A miracle worker, and I say amen to that. 

Liz Earle, Deep Cleansing Mask, £12.50 (translation: bargain!)

Barmy for Balmy

There is something very reassuring about the word ‘balmy’. I used this word all summer in my desperation for ‘balmy nights’ that I always had in Russian summers. Unfortunately, I think some of my friends started to think me ‘barmy’, which is not the reputation I wanted for myself.

There is something equally reassuring about a balmy texture on the skin that is thick and gooey, oily almost, but leaves the skin feeling super nourished and supple. I am embracing my favourite ‘balmy’ products, including Aromatherapy Associates Enrich Body Scrub. It is as rich as you’d want a body scrub to be with pure coffee, frankincense and grapefruit the wake up tired skin. You almost don’t need a lotion afterwards because the essential oils are so moisturising. Omorovicza’s Thermal Cleansing Balm is the facial equivalent. It feels beautifully extravagant. The Hungarian Moor mud cleanses the impurities while the sweet almond oil nourishes the skin.

Finally, for a deep clean, Nude’s Deep Cleansing Mask is first-class for dry skin. Although its base is kaolin clay, its non-drying formula with propolis and organic buriti means you’ll never have that tight mummy-face feeling after you’ve washed it off.

My evenings are now balmy for a different reason altogether. 

Aromatherapy Associates Enrich Body Scrub, £30.75

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, £45

Nude Deep Cleansing Mask, £28

Sports Mask

Having read recently that doing exercise, albeit in mammoth proportions, (compared to my weekly (ok, monthly) attempts) can dry out the skin, I thought I could conduct an experiment. This morning, I decided to embark on a jog. But before I did, I steamed my face, added my favourite Origins Drink Up 10-minute moisture mask - but instead if rinsing after ten minutes, I wiped off some of the excess and went running with and residuals. I am calling it my 'sports mask'.
Following my jog and shower, I emerged with baby soft skin. Et voila. I will definitely be trying this experiment again (that includes the exercising part too).
Origins 10 Minute Drink Up Mask £17.00

Pick Me Up

Summer summer summer time, oh summer time. The weather is hot and every public building and transport vehicle feels like stepping in to a mini sauna. But not one that is actually good for you. Or your skin. I have been thinking a lot lately about what I put on my skin and have been inspired by flowers, plants and my weekly visits for Colombia Road flower market. I decided to go au naturel. I am also a sucker for beautiful scents and the way they can uplift your mood. My Cowshed room sprays genuinely make me happy/relaxed/relaxed and happy, depending on the time of day I spray them. So it's no surprise that I go for the same pick me up qualities in my skincare.
My first investment is a eco, hard-duty face wash. I always double-rinse my face of all make up every evening and need a face wash that will get rid of all traces of my day's wear. I decided to try Evolve, an eco-smart skin care range. The Daily Detox Facial Wash was both gentle and effective. It features African superfood moringa seeds, which purify skin and reveal a brighter complexion. Nice wake up call for skin in the mornings and super-thorough cleansing in the evenings.

For an additional perk-up, I am loving Nude's Deep Cleansing Mask, which is made from kaolin clay to draw out any impurities, but is non-drying. Hallelujah. Plus, as a bonus, the little beads in the mask act like a gentle scrub when you wash off the mask. Double-duty, double-beauty, double-results.

Finally, to rid my body of any harmful toxins and start from the inside, I am taking a course of Nude's Detox capsules, which contain Liquorice and ginger that support the digestive system and aim to reduce water retention and increase energy.In other words, I am not carrying around a food baby after a big meal.