I have been treating my skin so badly recently.

Real bad.

During the summer, my skin is usually at its best, so I tone down on the number of products I need to use. I had finished most of my products by the end of summer, then, my skin went downhill. Way downhill. I had put self-care at the bottom of my never-ending to-do list, so buying new products never happened, until I received a letter through the door. There is nothing better than receiving a letter from Boots reminding you how much your points are worth. I had been saving my points for a while, so I had a nice amount to spend. I thought why not treat myself to some new skincare products. I have put self-care at the top of my list.

I took full advantage of the 3 for 2 with my first set of purchases. I always find it hard to find a decent face scrub, because I like mine really intense to give my face a good scrub and get rid of all the dry skin. I did a little research online and found great reviews for the Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub from St. Ives. To be honest, anything which includes 'blemish' in the title or description always makes its way into my basket. It says it 'deeply cleans pores to help stop breakouts before they occur', and has a 'high' exfoliating factor; all important things for me when buying scrubs. My first impression of the scrub is that the exfoliant is a little corse, and after my first use, it did make my skin feel smooth, but I've got to use it for longer to see if it helps prevent breakouts. The scent is apricot, but to me it just has a fresh fruity scent. So far, I have high hopes for this product.

My outlook on buying products is to not always repurchase. There are a lot of products to try, and no matter how much I love a product, there is going to be something out there that is just as good, or even better. I guess I just enjoy trying out different products. This was my mindset, until I had to repurchase Avene Cleanance MAT Mattifying Emulsion. It's one of those products that just work so well on my skin, and it feels like a treat to be using it again. You can read the full review here. (The product has been re-marketed but it's still the same amazing product inside.)

I bought the next product as I guess, the "free" purchase in the 3 for 2. It's the Biore Charcoal Pore Minimiser. Charcoal is great for oily skin, which is why I was drawn to this most. It comes in a pump bottle, perfect for someone like me who is not very good with knowing how much product to use. It's a cross between a scrub and a facial wash, but is leaning more towards a scrub. It lathers well, has little crystals for a light exfoliation, and is only recommended using 2-3 times per week. I'll probably end up using this product on days where my skin feels like it needs a really deep cleanse.

Needing a new face wash, I next picked up The Fab Pore Purifying Foam Cleaners from Soap and Glory. I have tried a few products previously from Soap and Glory's skincare range, and I was never disappointed. I chose this product because it's for oily/combination skin (mine), and is said to have 'poreshrinking', and 'coolcapsule smoothing' technology. Not entirely sure what that means, but I'm assuming that anything that shrinks your pores, and cools and smoothes your skin is ticking all the right boxes. One pump is enough per wash, and with quite a big bottle, this looks like it's going to last a fair few months. It comes out like a really soft creamy lather, and feels silky soft on wet skin. There's no real scent, it just smells clean, which is perfectly fine for me. I have never used a cleansing foam of any sort before, so this is all new to me, and I'm excited to keep using it.

The next two products were impulse buys... in my defence, Soap and Glory has 1/3 off. They recently launched a new face mask range, and I managed to stop myself from buying them all, and went for the Puffy Eye Attack under-eye brightening hydrogel patches. I don't suffer from puffy eyes, but there is a random day every few months where I wake up, and it feels like my eyes have been open for days. They feel sore, and my under eyes are just big puff balls. I'm saving this for that day. I know for sure I'll be throwing a few more of these face masks into my basket on my next visit.

Another product I got from Soap & Glory is The Fab Pore 3-in-1 Oil Control Serum. It helps to instantly mattify your skin for up to 12 hours of shine-free, it makes your pores look smaller, and also smoothes out the skin. It sounds like the dream product to anyone who is trying to combat their oily complexion. It's a very light serum, and works into the skin straight away. It can be used on its own, under make-up, or before your moisturiser. I am going to be trying it in each of the different ways to see what works best for me.

The last product I brought isn't facial skincare, but bodycare. I tried Sanctuary Spa salt scrub, and it's by far my favourite scrub ever. Wanting to go for something a little different, I opted for the salt scrub bar. It's got the same beautiful scent, but in a polishing bar. I hope I'm going to love this just as much as the liquid scrub. *fingers crossed.*

I love trying new products, and can't wait to take full advantage of all of these. I'm trying to put together the perfect skincare routine for oily/combination and blemish-prone skin, so you'll be getting a full review of these products if they manage to get into that routine. Let me know in the comments below which products you can recommend for such skin, plus your favourite skincare products at the moment.