Skin That's Just 'Lush'

Looking after your face and your skin is the most important thing in any makeup and skincare regime. It's one of the first things you notice about another person and bad skin is a source of a lack of self-confidence in so many people.

Everyday we're confronted with images of smooth-skinned women in the media, with barely a blackhead or blemish in sight, and for me and a lot of people I know having glowing, spot-free skin like Cate Blanchett's is something I dream about. Honestly, I don't even think my skin was that smooth when I was born!

I've struggled with acne since I was about 14 and, like many teenagers, I had this idea that it was something that only teenagers dealt with and as soon as I hit 18 they would disappear overnight.

That didn't happen.

It's now becoming clear that I will be dealing with spots my whole life, and I really am not enjoying this. I have combination skin - which means that I have patches of dry, flaky skin and other areas that are particularly oily - and then on top of that I get blackheads and hormone-related spots. Essentially, I never have clear skin, and I have tried everything to combat this. I've tried face masks; I've tried scrubs; I've tried harsh cleansers; I've tried going completely makeup-free: big-name brands or high street products - you name it, I've tried it.

So when a friend recommended I start using Lush products, I was intrigued - they use natural ingredients to create a multitude of cleansers, moisturizer, bath bombs and other items, and they make sure to use only ingredients that haven't been tested on animals, which is something that really spoke to me.

It was a little overwhelming, standing in front of 15 different moisturizers not knowing which one to try, but the staff at my local Brighton store were so helpful when I asked for advice and it's something I've noticed in other Lush stores too; they know their products and ask the right kind of questions to narrow down the products that will work best for you.

It was suggested I try Angels on Bare Skin as an everyday cleanser, with the mild Ultrabland to use when taking my makeup off in the evenings; the sweet-smelling Eau Roma Water toner to calm redness and hydrate the skin; the zesty Ocean Salt face scrub to help clear my pores; and the mattifying Enzymion moisturizer to combat my combination skin.

I've been using the products for just over a month and almost immediately after I started using them I saw such a visible increase in my skin. Excuse the pout but this was the difference in a week and a half: 

My pores are smaller, my skin is more balanced, and the products smell so divine it's a joy to use them everyday. The only downside is the price, which are a little student unfriendly and just seem to be going up and up - when I first found the Enzymion moisturizer it was £11.95 and last week when I checked online it had gone up to £14.50, which is a tad frustrating.

There's no denying the products work though, and it's refreshing to know what exactly I'm putting on my face - they also offer free samples of the products so you can ensure before buying that they won't cause a reaction. I'll never have supermodel skin, but I feel a lot more comfortable without my makeup on. Thankyou Lush!