EDITING FOR #INSTAGRAM

I'm sure everybody has or has had by the time they're 27 a skincare routine that works for them. Well, in my case, I've been struggling with my skin and getting zits and spots and a terrible redness in one of my cheeks. Sometimes ones that even makeup couldn't cover. I tried millions of products and none of them seemed to work. Or at least they didn't work for long.

But today I can say I'm finally happy with the skincare routine I've had for the last few months. I'm still a work in progress but my skin looks better than it had six months ago. The redness is almost gone and although the acne marks can be seen (they will take a long time to disappear), they don't bother me as much as they did previously. If I can make them disappear with makeup, I'm happy.

"So, Maria, what have you done? What changed?" you will be asking. Well, I introduced three new products in my life.

The first one is the Tea Tree Clay Mask by The Body Shop. I used the Tea Tree cream and it was doing good to my skin but I couldn't stand the smell. It's not bad, on the contrary, but I'm really picky with smelly creams. Well, with creams in general, I won't lie. I can't even stand to apply sunscreen on myself or others. I either use a spray or have someone to do it for me.

Back on the mask. It says to use twice a week for 10-15 minutes but I have been using it every 6 days for 10 minutes. I know my skin and it doesn't do well with masks so I didn't want to risk it. And it has worked perfectly!

The texture is soft, has a lovely green colour that suits me good with my blue eyes and it doesn't smell as bad as the Tea Tree Lotion. And also it's just once a week so I can stand it. I'm not a coward. I came here to win and have the most beautiful skin ever.

The second product is on the pricey side but it's a long lasting one. It's Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I only use it to remove my makeup and following the instructions. It removes every mascara that I've used (even the waterproof ones). I haven't tried it yet with the Benefit They're Real but I'm planning on doing it soon.

Finally, the third product is the Aloe Gentle Facial Wash. It's a foam from The Body Shop that I use twice a day. One in the morning when I wake up and one before going to bed or after I remove my makeup. With the Liz Earle product you're supposed to splash your face with cold water afterwards. What I do is first use the foam and then clean it all with cool water.

The foam is really gentle, it barely smells (so that's a win for me) and leaves my skin really soft and with a calm sensation.

And this is it for my really basic skincare routine. I hope it is useful for you guys.