With all the micellar waters, oil cleansers, toners, face masks, exfoliants etc. sometimes skincare feels like an overcrowded playground. To be completely honest, I'll probably add some (un)necessary skincare items come autumn because I'm a skincare junkie at heart. However, for me, summertime means downsizing and simplifying things and it's been like that year after year. Majority of products I own are actually geared towards makeup removal and face cleansing. I've run out of eye creams because I use them diligently, I pop a face mask twice a month on average and I'm proud to have only a handful of face creams in my rotation. This will be a post dedicated to one of my faves.
Clinique is killing it lately - I've used up their Pep-Start eye cream last month, yesterday I finished my pot of their All About Eyes Rich, they announced a new range of skincare and makeup called Clinique Fit (made for sweaty active people!) and I'm absolutely in love with their smartest range to date. Alongside with just one range of skincare (about which I'll post reviews soon), Clinique Smart is one of the best things I've tried skincare-wise lately. Out of five products from the Clinique Smart range, I've been using four- so we can say I got a decent, if not well-rounded impression of what it really does. Let's start with my favorite item.

This is a very interesting addition to my skincare stash and I was extremely excited to test it out mostly because I'm a big fan of both, the EL ANR serum and of facial oils. This product merged my two loves together and is aimed at skin which is showing signs of aging - a skincare issue that is becoming one of my primary concerns. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules (60 Capsules | $110) are such a luxurious treat - I consider them mini facials.
Glorious skincare - I could go on and on about it as it's a never-tiring topic for me. I have shared my current skincare routine in this post and the only thing that has changes is the fact I've run out of all cleansers - at the same time (don't you hate it when that happens?). My Estee Lauder ANR cleansing balm, GlamGlow Youth Cleanse cleanser and alverde Clear wash paste have altogether said farewell and I'm contemplating what to purchase next. In the meanwhile, I've promised to share my The Ordinary edit, how I've picked each item, what they're for and how to combine them.
Considering that I'm a skincare junkie, I don't think I've ever used a horrendous amount of products at the same time but I must admit that (even though I love all those skincare routine steps), not all are necessary. I like trying new things but at the end of the day, I'm aiming at curating a well thought-out, streamlined routine which is efficient. This is the first time I'm not using some of my year-long staples such as the LRP Effaclar Duo. I've totally skipped on toners and face masks as such. Even micellar waters are absent so it's a pretty big change for me.
Next week my in-depth skincare routine post is coming but I want to shed light on a few products beforehand. As I've made it clear on many occasions, skincare is a big deal to me. I may not always have the latest products on the market incorporated in my skincare routine and not all of the things I use are expensive but I always do the best I can with what I have. Also, it's been shown many times that a price tag doesn't come with a quality guarantee but it's not strange to feel affectionate, support and trust certain brands with which we have good experience.
Skin care is a very important thing for me and prevention of any skin irregularities and battling the existing issues consumes the bulk of my thoughts and time I invest in beauty-related matters. For reference, my skin has transformed from acne-prone and oily to normal/dehydrated with tendency to get clogged by certain formulas (ingredients). That's the type and the issues are dark under-eye circles (courtesy of night shifts) and first wrinkles (courtesy of ageing). I have been unsatisfied with the state of my complexion six months ago, particularly with progression of wrinkles (on the forehead and around the mouth) probably in correlation with thinning skin and dehydrated skin type.
I've been making investments and I've been committed to that for awhile now. You know how they say a high-quality leather bag/ boots/ jacket are an investment? A good coat, a fitted pair of jeans or that perfect silky white blouse are all investment pieces. I've been thinking about my skincare and makeup in similar terms and I've acted upon those thoughts.
March? Spring on the way? Yes, give me more of that! My skincare routine and generally the way I take care of myself needs to change, asap! And you know me, I'm all about that natural beauty so L'Occitane is a no-brainer shop stop for me.
If you, like I, have been dreaming of lavender fields to soothe the fact cloudy days are starting to be just a tad bothersome and melancholic - I'm opening the door to the most wonderful two products lavender afficionados will go crazy for. You know my philosophy - I like supporting natural, smaller brands of handmade products. Bosnian handmade natural cosmetics is such high-quality for an unbeatable price and here is another example of that.
If you wanted to have a sneaky peek into my everyday makeup bag or better yet, my winter essentials - all three products from these photos would be there. I'm always very impressed by smaller brands and how good their handmade skincare is. I love the fact you can get truly premium, high-quality products for a really affordable price. Packaging here isn't the focus (it's only important that it's functional and it shelters ingredients), nor is branding - and that's why the product itself is in the focus and the price is soo user-friendly.
After trying Caudalie's Beauty Elixir, I felt like I completely gave up on any type of toners. Aggressive, alcohol-packed and overpriced, it was a slap on my wrist as I felt foolish for falling for the hype. Eventually, I came back to my trusty rosewater, it never fails me and I alternate between alverde organic Wild-Rose toner and the Thayers rose petal witch hazel toner.
Clinique Pep-Start consists of 5 products (there's also an SPF day cream and cleansing wipes) targeting younger, on-the-go skin that could just do with a bit of a wake-up. They're designed for fast lifestyles that don't have time to use an army of products. And I think Clinique totally nailed it with this range - it does exactly as promised. My husband and I have been addicted to all three pictured skincare items and I really don't think we'd be able to single out a favorite.