It all begins with skin..
Good skincare is everything..
If I had to invest in one thing, good skincare would be top of the list. Over and above makeup, gadgets and aesthetics, trying to ensure your skin is in the healthiest position possible through a skincare routine that works for you will really boost your confidence and make any face makeup look so much better.
Your makeup can only do so much.
Think of it as trying to paint over a wall. If the wall is rough, dry, patchy and full of holes, the paint simply won’t go on as well and the finish will look like the same rough wall with a layer of colour over it. If the wall is treated, smoothed, the holes filled and primed, the paint will look fresher, cleaner and well applied.
Where to start?
Everyone will be on a different part of the spectrum with their skincare. The main aim is to have a routine you’re happy with and where your skin feels good. Everyone will be different.
If you’re starting from scratch, try a night time cleanse, tone moisturise a few times a week with simple products. Begin to enjoy the process of nurturing your skin.
My Skincare Routine(s)
I am not a skin care expert and am not qualified to give advice on skin. All I can tell you is what I do and some of the skincare gadgets I use. What I can tell you is that looking after my skin with good products and a few simple gadgets has changed my skin for the better.
I have two separate routines: Morning and Night time.
Morning routine:
AIM: Wake up my face, wash away skincare from the night before and prep my skin for makeup
Example: Wash my face with Ren Cleansing Gel, using NuSkin Lumispa
Use Erase your Face Flannel to clean
Ren Dark Circle Eye Cream
The Ordinary Niacinamide Serum
Thin layer of Moisturiser to hydrate after serum
Epionce SPF 50
Pre makeup Moisturiser (L’Oreal Hydra Genius or Skin Food)
This may seem like alot but it happens over the course of a short, frantic morning getting kids out to school! I always apply eye cream straight after cleansing so I know it’s not being diluted with other products and I have recently added serum to my morning routine because Caroline Hirons told me to!
Her book is AMAZING and I highly recommend buying or borrowing it for great no nonsense skincare advice.
I like to give each product a little bit of time to sink in so I run around the house, slowly adding layers of skincare before I sit down to do makeup.
Night-time Routine:
AIM: Remove makeup and SPF, sooth my skin and use products so my skin ‘bakes’ in them overnight.
This is when I use my Epionce Products which you can read about below. This medical grade skincare brand has literally blown my mind and has changed my skin from the inside out. I haven’t changed much about my night time routine for around two years. It’s all about finding a routine that works for you and your skin.
Example: Remove eye makeup and face makeup with Superfacialist Oil Cleanser
Epionce Foaming Cleanser with Nu Skin Lumi Spa
Erase your face Cleansing cloths to clean skin
Epionce Lytic X Retexturizing Lotion
Epionce Renewal Facial Cream
MY EXPERIENCE:
As you may know if you follow my Instagram Page @dollypond_mua I am a huge advocate of Epionce skincare. I had previously tried Alumiere and Environ but I felt neither really made a difference after trialling them for a number of months. The moment I tried Epionce I got a sense that it was different. The products feel luxurious, silky and hydrating and after around six weeks I began to notice the texture of my skin was less rough (an indicator of dehydration), I had fewer dry patches and blemishing. My skin overall began to feel better and as we all now by now, its all about how you feel.
You can see the exact products I have used below for over two years now. I haven’t had to tweak the products at all but the benefit of buying them through a representative means that you can discuss your skin concerns and products can be adjusted to suit.
My skin has continued to thrive using Epionce and it’s very unlikely you will hear me advocating any other skincare brand. I’m sticking with what works for me.
My job here is not to convert you to Epionce, simply to let you know what has worked for me. I’m lucky enough to work with Clara from @aspireaestheticsni who, along with @epionceireland give me products to promote. I simply wouldn’t take on that role if I didn’t feel that they worked. The important part of this is finding products that work for you and that you can see them making a visible difference to your skin.
I have included some pictures below of my skin in 2019 before I started using Epionce and I think they speak for themselves.
If you would like to try Epionce products, you can contact Clara @aspireaestheticsni for a consultation either face to face or remotely and she can recommend and send out the right products for you. Clara also sells Disovery Sets with five 12g samples to try (see pic below) which are so handy to give them a good road test before you commit and also amazing for travelling.
What else works?
NUSKIN LUMI SPA:
Apart from skincare I have a few other heroes in my routine, one of which is my NuSkin Lumi Spa. I have owned my Lumi for over two years and use it twice a day without fail to remove dirt and makeup effectively and address texture on my skin. The device also gently exfoliates the skin without disrupting the skin barrier. The oscillating head helps to clean out pores and can remove dead skin cells and black heads.
What I loved about it initially was that the silicone head is embedded with antimicrobial silver which is much more hygenic than a brush style face cleanser. It is so much easier to clean and feels much less abrasive on the skin.
You can read about the benefits of the Lumi Spa here
I am a distributor for Lumi Spa so if you would like further information or to purchase one of the products, please don’t hesitate to contact me on my Instagram or email dollydoesfaces@gmail.com
MICRO NEEDLING, CRYO STICKS, LED MASK:
I have been lucky to work with the lovely people at @Olivierewilson who have sent me amazing skin gadgets to try. I have to say, their products are second to none in terms of quality. I have enjoyed each of their products and in particular the LED mask has become a regular part of my routine. Light therapy can be an excellent way to keep skin fresh and healthy, encouraging laxity and stimulating collagen. I honestly believe there is no one thing that works but when products and gadgets are used consistently, your skin quickly begins to show the benefits.
You can check out the LED mask here and following this link will get you 10% off https://www.olivierewilson.com/discount/DOLLY10
FLANNELS!
Yes, a good old fashioned facecloth..maybe not as scratchy as the ones yer ma used to use but a lovely microfibre cloth which is really going to gently wipe away all traces of the day and get rid of every last drop of makeup. I could not wash my face without a flannel, plus I’m a bit dubious about where towels have been in our bathroom so alot of the time, I use my flannel to wipe away excess water and leave my face to airdry. The perils of living with boys!
I just buy flannels on Amazon, I’ll link to the ones I have here. I tend to use one per night and I buy them in light colours so I can see what’s coming off and I’m shamed into sending them to the wash after each use! Black ones can fool you into a false sense of security!
WATER
Lets not forget how important to hydrate the skin from the inside. I purchased this 2L drinking water bottle and the straw helps me to drink so much more water. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference!
Despite doing everything you can for your skin, it can still present with issues. Skin can be unpredictable and hard to treat. It can flare up due to hormonal changes, stress, intolerances and allergies. Texture is normal and flare up’s are normal. All we can do sometimes is our best!
For great no nonsense information and easy to navigate advice, I have always enjoyed the Caroline Hirons book here.
You can read and interesting article from BYRDIE on The Real Difference between Medical Grade Skincare and Mainstream here




