With spring in the air and a renewed bounce in our step, it feels like the right time to overhaul our usual and lacklustre cleansing routine fillies. Yes, it’s time to spring clean the skincare routine! With Bridesmaid duties on the horizon and wanting to be as fresh-faced as possible, Leigh’s getting her cleansing game en pointe. Click this way as she comes clean about the AM to PM utter yumminess that she’s been using…

Yup! Of late I’ve realised if I want skin baby soft, blemish-free and not looking a day over 30, I need to take it in hand STAT! So, I declared to myself, it was time to invest in some quality skincare. I have always tended to be mindful of what moisturisers I use but would think nothing of wiping off my makeup with 99p facial wipes and then wondering why my skin wasn’t quite as glowy and clean feeling as it should be it. Bad cleansing is like buying ill-fitting underwear for a body-con dress – you are going to see everything shining through it because the base is all wrong! So matter how good a moisturiser you use or how great a makeup job you have done, if the skin itself is poor, everything may be a bit lacklustre.

Since incorporating a much more considered and consistent cleansing routine morning and evening for the past month, I have noticed clearer and smoother skin that illuminates my moisturiser and makeup choices. Furthermore, I am feeling much more confident sans makeup – which I am sure the postman is thankful for too!

AM ROUTINE – EXUVIANCE CLARIFYING FACIAL CLEANSER:
In the morning, I want a product that delivers quick and clean, providing a great base for the day ahead. Enter Exuviance’s Clarifying Facial Cleanser! With most mornings of late consisting of 5:30am call times at the studios or travelling to work, I want as much sleep as possible. So mucking around with cleansing is not really option. I am already a BIG fan of Exuviance’s makeup (it featured in our NYEssentials round up – read more here) and I love their skin treatments (Read all about Exuviance’s Bionic Oxygen Facial here). So I thought my skin would benefit from a bit of their “Science meets Spa” awesomeness every morning.

I loved that this is a pump dispenser as I find the whole opening and closing of tubes in the morning a bit of a faff when washing my face when I’m half asleep, so this is a breeze! Plus this is a very generous sized bottle, so you know it is going to last and is worth the investment. This foams up to a lovely fresh, light foam that bubbles away impurities – I love how clean, smoothed and soothed my skin feels after using. Light foam = deep cleanse! This wash contains anti-ageing as well as anti-bacterial ingredients, so my monthly skin flare ups around the day of the ladies (you get me right?) weren’t as bad usual. This wash is the perfect buddy for acne prone skin. The blend of yummy botanicals as well as chamomile soothe and balance whilst polyhydroxy acids help combat the signs of ageing. It is fragrance free, so sensitive souls can rejoice but those so expecting your senses to be awakened by an uplifting or zingy scent, this is not for you. However, you WILL be left with smoother, clearer skin day after day that feels prepped for whatever life throws at you. HUZZAH!

PM ROUTINE – MERUMAYA MELTING CLEANSING BALM:
Of a night, I tend to want to spend a little more time and have decided to make my night time cleansing almost a bit spa-like and indulge in some “Me time” (for a more indepth home spa experience, check out our how to now). That’s where Merumaya’s Melting Cleansing Balm fits the bill perfectly.

Unlike many cleansing balms, this comes in a tube rather than a tub, so the product doesn’t need to worked and warmed up to be ready to use. It comes out all buttery thick and yummy before melting onto the skin in the most fragrantly delicious oil that literally melts away makeup. A little certainly goes a long way! Seriously, this can disseminate a strong evening smoky eye and dramatic lip in 30 seconds flat! Packed with sweet almond oil, echium oil which contains omega 3, 6, and 9 and anti-oxidants, you can feel it nourishing whilst it cleanses. Add some water to work the oil into a milk, then sweep all makeup and impurities away with a cleansing cloth. I tend to use Bravura’s Dermaflannel as it gives your skin a gentle exfoliation, buffing the skin. Coupled with the balm, it wipes away not just the product, but any dry skin or dead skin cells, really getting the skin glowing. Plus it’s reusable, just properly handwash it once a week – huzzah!

The cleanser leaves your skin feeling clean but also moisturised and nourished. I can only describe my skin as feeling as cushiony and dewy afterwards – like all the drying effects of the day have been wiped away and replaced with softness. You could almost skip moisturising…almost!

Since upping my AM and PM cleansing game, I must say that the results have been really noticeable, not just to myself but others too, who have said I look glowing – SCORE! I personally have noticed that my moisturiser or any products/face masks used afterwards have absorbed better and that my makeup glides on easier. I am tending to use a little less concealer! My skin feels cleaner, clearer, smoother and more “glowy” with a strobe worthy sheen. Coming clean has never felt so good fillies!

Have you tried these products? What are your favourite cleansers or have you got a must have cleansing tip? We’d love to hearing the “Comments” below.

Until next time fillies ,

Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN HQ x

P.S Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to more! Hit the button in the top right of the page or follow us on Bloglovin’ to never miss post again! Check out our social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook too.