My New Skincare Saviour | NUDE

My first ever blog postwas about my skincare routine. I absolutely swore by Clinique’s Anti-Blemishrange and totally believed that they were curing my problematic skin. For the most part Ithink they probably were, but lessons have been learned and Clinique is nomore.

If you read my first post, you will know that during my teenage years my skin was pretty well behaved. (I’llapologise now, this post may be slightly repetitive in places, but I want toexplain it properly for newer readers!). I would only really experience spotswhen it was time of the month, and to be honest it wasn’t anything drastic,perhaps two spots on my forehead or something. Definitely manageable and I’mpretty sure I was the envy of a lot of the girls who were going through awfulissues of acne and scarring. Like anything in life, you don’t think it willhappen to you – until it does.

When I hit 20, my skindecided to have a mind of it’s own. I’d gone from being able to use any productI fancied to having to be really selective with ingredients and being a loverof beauty, I was pretty bummed. I invested in (a hell of a lot of) Liz Earleproducts and my skin absolutely hated it, and that’s where Clinique stepped in.Yes, it was fantastic for clearing up blemishes, reducing redness andeliminating the pounding pain that throbs through spots (yum), butas soon as it cleared up one load – perhaps 15-2o spots at a time, anotherbatch would pop up twice as sore and 122034953x as large. Believing in myproduct I convinced myself that it was my hormones/lifestyle causing thebreakouts and that Clinique couldn’t possibly be at fault. I mean, they wereclearing up my skin so well and it had restored a little bit of hope thatthings might get better!

Then, the ever wonderfulZoe of Zoe New Love sent me a rather hefty (but much appreciated) email aboutmy skincare and how she thought I could improve it. Basically, what it boilsdown to is that Clinique works a bit like paint stripper. Yes, it’s wonderfulat ripping all the baddies off your face and appearing to keep your skin clearbut really, it’s taking all the goodies out of your skin too. I always said howit controlled my oil fantastically, when what it was really doing was removing allthe natural oil, which you actually need to keep your skin looking and feelinghealthy. Hence the breakouts – when your skin is de-hydrated it will lock allthe oil in and produce it in excess, causing a breakout. So, a big fat lovelyTHANK YOU to Zoe for helping me out and throwing some suggestions my way!

That's where my new skincare comes in. NUDE...

 First step is cleansing, I've been using their Perfect Cleansing Oil (RRP £28 100ml) and for me, perfect is the 'perfect' word to describe it. First impressions, I thought no way ho-say am I using an oil based product on my oily skin, but it turns out it's exactly what my skin was craving. Was my skin naturally oily? Or was it just craving the right balance of skincare to keep it at bay? I use one pump in the morning and two at night - simply because I like to take my makeup off with it (really impressed with how amazingly delicate this is around the eye area - no stinging at all), and that means using an extra pump helps. Once I've rubbed it in, I wet my hands and continue to massage - this causes the oil to turn into a milky consistency and then I just wash off with warm water. It leaves my skin feeling refreshed, silky smooth but for me most importantly - oil free and not dried up. Because this is a natural brand, there's pretty much no fragrance to this cleanser, something my skin loves and after one use it had helped to clear my spots tremendously.

Second is their Radiant Daily Moisturiser. (RRP £42 40ml) This is reasonably light in consistency, which means a little goes a long way (something I always look for in a moisturiser). Again fragrance free, this moisturiser makes me feel refreshed and sinks in beautifully - there's no waiting around to put your makeup on, it dries almost instantly and it really feels like your skin is drinking it up. Like the cleanser, it soaks up the oil but doesn't leave my skin feeling dehydrated, quite the opposite really. In conjunction with the cleanser my skin has never felt so amazing. And honestly, I'm not just saying that. 

Lastly - the ProGenius Treatment Oil. (RRP £58 30ml N.B. my picture is the tester size bottle) Good GOD, seriously I cannot praise this baby enough. I use this every other evening (instead of my moisturiser). Like the cleanser, I was dubious to say the least in using pure oil on my face, but how wrong I was. And please, if you've used treatment oils before and reacted badly to it, don't let that put you off. I used the Liz Earle facial oil and my skin went banana's, but these treatments are so amazing for your skin and it's just a case of finding the one that fits you. There's so many yummy oils in this bottle, I won't list them all but here a my personal faves: Sunflower, Apricot, Sweet Almond, JoJoba, Rosemary and Soy Bean to name a few! I apply two drops to my fingertips after cleansing and warm through my fingers before dabbing all over my face. There is a very subtle hint of Jasmine to this oil, but when I say subtle I mean it, perfect for a night time treatment. (it also says you can use it under foundation, but I don't fancy that). I personally love the glass pipette and bottle, it's got quite a bold price tag, and if the treatment itself wasn't enough for you, I think the packaging ensures you're satisfied 100%. I haven't had to use a spot treatment since I've used this oil - that's how good it is. If I've experienced a breakout a few drops of this every other night has cleared them up whilst I'm sleeping. Literally, I am so happy. That probably sounds pathetic, but if you've struggled with your skin then you'll understand where I'm coming from.

In fairness - I have no basis to compare how these products work singularly as I've only used them in conjunction with one another - but if you're a bit put off by the price, and want to try it, then go for their starter kit - you get one of each (smaller sizes) for £38 and the cleanser and moisturiser lasted me about a month, the oils still going strong with probably another month or so left. So it's definitely fantastic value for money.

I think even if you don't have problematic skin, this brand could work for any skin type. Their main focus is anti-ageing. Nude use n-probiotic, which causes the skin to produce its own anti-ageing ingredients, including collagen, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants; omegas 3, 6, 7 & 9 that help to defend against ageing and protect whole skin cells so not only is your skin being cared for, it's also helping you naturally face the first signs of ageing. And at 23, I'm not one to be scared by anti-ageing products. Personally, I don't see the benefit in waiting until your skin has aged to try and rectify it - surely the title anti-ageing says it all? Fight it whilst you can, and use it as a preventative, not a cure. The packaging is gorgeously subtle, but not only that, it's recyclable. And lastly, Nude are 100% natural and don't test on animals. To be honest, I don't think they could be any more perfect.

I am now at the stage, where if I had to I would happily leave the house without my foundation on. A few months ago I would have laughed out loud at that statement, but I honestly feel this brand has turned my life around. I have my confidence back and know that I'm protecting my skin too. No more baddies and hopefully no wrinkles either ;) If that's not results I don't know what is.

What do you think? Is Nude a brand you've tried before?